Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell called a special public meeting for August 17 to discuss progress on the Point Road Bike Path.
Rockwell explained to the members in a short, historical sketch that several years ago, the commission received a grant allowing it to construct a bike path/trail along Point Road from Jenna Drive to Creek Road. Recently, MOSAC has been working on the section between Joanne and Jenna Drives, having staked out the path in that section and requested responses for tree removal.
While marking trees for removal within the 14-foot layout according to the request of prospective job bidders, MOSAC members were approached by representatives Asplundh Construction, a company that happened to be on site removing trees on behalf of Eversource. Rockwell explained MOSAC’s plan and asked if the company could clear two remaining trees that its representatives had tagged with blue paint. The company representative said they would remove those trees and any more trees that the commission would mark. Another company working with Eversource will clean up the downed trees, limbs and brush, in the end saving Marion several thousands of dollars.
Rockwell called it “good financial news for us,” noting that the commission had received a $5,000 quote for comparable work. He indicated during the August 17 special meeting that the optimum route had been somewhat compromised in order to avoid paying large sums to remove some of the larger trees.
It turns out thanks to Aspundh Construction’s involvement that some of the route will not need amending, but Rockwell determined that as the path goes into the woods a former decision to remove a 7-inch oak and a 9-inch oak to spare an 11-inch oak should also be reviewed. The more-expedient method, he suggested, is to reconsider the exact direction of the path every 50 feet.
The matter, he said, is time sensitive; as of August 17, Aspundh was one third of the way up the path to finish its own work, after which its workers would be off to their next job and unavailable to perform further clearing.
There are various considerations for users of the path, including the neighbors’ preference for distance from the path, the security of users remaining visible and of course cost. “Some of those costs are a one-time thing,” said Rockwell, noting that diminished privacy is a concern and where possible redesign is geared toward Increasing the buffer.
MOSAC member Deb Ewing said she was initially of an opinion to wind the path through trees and shade, but she called the current decision a safety factor. “Sticking closer to the road … I think if it’s possible just to go along the road, it is also going to be the type of thing that utility companies are going to be doing that work,” she said. “To take out other trees for that little bit … I like our route, I like what we did.” But it was clear Ewing now thinks the path is better off running alongside Point Road.
Rockwell said the original course led to concern over costs and potentially running out of funding. “I don’t want to say, ‘Just go along the road,’ because there are a lot of factors,” he said. “Everything has to be site-specific.”
Shaun Walsh, a member of the Conservation Commission, echoed the sentiments of the membership in keeping the path closer to the road. “It’s such a short path,” he said. “The whole idea is … mainly a safety thing. The main idea is to get (bike riders and pedestrians) off Point Road.” As Rockwell more bluntly put it during a Monday morning follow-up call, the next-step connection to the Creek Road Bike Path will allow people to “walk to the village without getting run over.”
The Point Road Bike Path is not part of the South Coast Bike Path but is being designed for a potential connection to the larger path if such an endeavor becomes financially feasible.
MOSAC clerk Amanda Chace sought clarification that Rockwell provided that regardless of what the commission decided during the August 17 meeting, the company working with Eversource would remove the marked trees in accordance with the offer made a few days earlier. Chace also clarified that there will be a bid process, albeit with a smaller scope of work.
The meeting concluded with a vote to authorize Rockwell and Ewing to visit the site shortly after the meeting to view the new clearing and make adjustments to approximately half the distance of the area in question based on the new conditions.
The next meeting of the Open Space Acquisition Commission is scheduled for Thursday, September 1, at 7:00 pm.
Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission
By Mick Colageo