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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-10 Board of Selectmen Minutes Board of Selectmen Meeting September 10, 2005 The meeting convened at 9:00 a.m. at the intersection of Chute Street and Mount Vernon Street. Present were Chairman Camille Anthony; Vice Chairman Richard Schubert, Secretary Joseph Duffy and Selectmen James Bonazoli and Ben Tafoya. Also present were Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner and a number of residents from the neighborhood. The purpose of this meeting was a site walk, first in the Chute Street neighborhood, and then at the Water Treatment Plant site. One resident noted that the one way restrictions are violated routinely, often in the 5:00-6:00 p.m. timeframe. It might be helpful to have a one way sign on Chute Street at the Woburn Street end so that the one way regulation would be well observed. As people were standing at the location, a vehicle did go the wrong way up Chute Street. Some residents indicated that the one way on Chute Street worked very well while others indicated that School Street gets less traffic now because of that. Some residents felt that Mount Vernon Street was better while others felt that Bancroft Street and Mount Vernon were worse with restrictions. Concerns were expressed that the High Street/Mount Vernon section is dangerous, but the High Street/Middlesex Avenue stop signs help. Some residents felt that the High Street/Lowell Street intersection was bad. There was discussion about enforcement of speed and one way restrictions. Concern was also expressed about the Mount Vernon Street/Bancroft Street intersection. There were also concerns about parking with the new building being developed at Haven Junction. The one way on Chute Street put traffic on Bancroft Street. The transfer is the-traffic to that location. Parking on both sides of Bancroft Street between Woburn Street and Mount Vernon is a problem because the street is so narrow. The one way has in effect put the Chute Street traffic onto Bancroft Street and Mount Vernon. There was discussion about making Bancroft Street and Mount Vernon a four way stop. The consensus was that this would be a good idea. There were concerns about parking in the neighborhood. The main concern seemed to be that the parking made it more of an urban situation. There was also discussion about what the parking should be on Chute Street— should there be parking on both sides. The possible exception would be on Sunday. It was noted that the neighborhood has become a location for all day parking for the Atlantic Food Mart and the Depot and probably for the new offices. One suggestion was that we allow trucks go out to West Street. They used to go to West Street or up Linden Street. Now that they can't go up Linden or onto West Street,they'll go to Downtown and create backups. A suggestion was made that we install speed bumps for speed humps. The Town Manager noted that the speed bumps are not legal. Speed tables are, but the concerns are for drainage and plowing. Board of Selectmen Meeting—September 10, 2005 Page 2 It was suggested that Middlesex Avenue and Bancroft Street should be a four way stop. There was an accident there recently. Another suggestion was that we enforce the distance of parking from an intersection which the Town Manager thought was 20 or 25 feet. There was a suggestion that children's signs be placed on Kingston Street because of lack of sidewalks, The Town Manager indicated that philosophically the Town staff is opposed to such signs—they are not effective and they give a false sense of security. A question was raised as to whether or not we could eliminate the No Turn on Red at Woburn and High Street to make that traffic movement easier. The Town Manager noted that there was obstruction on Bancroft Street at Middlesex with the tree blocking the stop signs, and that one of the Do Not Enter signs is very faded and needs to be replaced. A question was raised as to whether or not people could petition for sidewalks. The Town Manager outlined the betterment process and noted that it would need to be done in a whole block—not in a house by house basis. One resident raised the question of street lighting on Middlesex Avenue—there was too little. A resident suggested that we should consider removal of some of the trees on School Street — during storms, they tend to drop a lot of branches. Another resident asked for a stop sign on School Street at Mount Vernon—people tend to speed in that location. The Board of Selectmen with a group of residents traversed the area on Mount Vernon Street from Chute Street to Bancroft Street, up Bancroft Street to Middlesex Avenue, up Middlesex Avenue to School Street, down School Street to Mount Vernon and back to Chute Street.. The meeting of the site walk on the Chute Street neighborhood adjourned at approximately 10:10 a.m. The Board reconvened at 10:30 a.m. at the Water Treatment Plant at Strout Avenue. Public Works Director Ted McIntire, Water Treatment Plant Supervisor Peter Tassi, representatives from CDM and a number of residents participated in the site walk. The Board reviewed the potential sites eliminating the site that had previously been approved because of environmental issues. They then walked to the Compost Center, the tree nursery site and back to the existing treatment plant site. A number of residents expressed that the best site might be to rebuild the existing Water Treatment Plant site. The next best site would be at the existing Compost Center, and eliminate composting by doing curbside recycling. There was a suggestion that we should consider a Prop 2V2override to reinstate curbside recycling which is anticipated to be about $125,000 per year. Some expressed the feeling that this should be done even if the existing Compost Center site is not used for the Water Treatment Plant. Board of Selectmen Meeting—September 10, 2005—Page 3 A question was raised about buying all of our water from the MWRA, and CDM representatives indicated that was not permitted by law. The Town Manager indicated that he has been having some discussion with DEP about the possibility of doing a special act to allow Reading to buy all of their water from the MWRA. The question was raised about the vulnerability of the Town's wells from another gasoline spill. Ted McIntire noted that we are in the process of working on an I-93 containment process and that would require the cooperation of the Mass. Highway, Mass. DEP, the Town of Wilmington and the Town of Reading. The meeting of the site walk at the Water Treatment Plant adjourned at approximately 11:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, 4V ,ecrary