Thanks to the Office of Congressman Jake Auchincloss for contributing this news to Westwood Minute.
Washington, DC — Funding for community improvement projects in Dover and Medfield that are sponsored by Congressman Jake Auchincloss have been included in House passage of part of its annual appropriations package in a "minibus." The inclusion marks a win for the Congressman and residents of the Fourth District.
“The Massachusetts Fourth, from Fall River to Brookline, is a powerhouse of talent and work ethic,” said Congressman Auchincloss. “These critical funds will make our communities cleaner, stronger, and safer. Investing in infrastructure and getting localities the funds they need to reach their full economic potential will help our District and Commonwealth reach the next level.”
Here's a look at the local area projects that are included in the House appropriations package:
Project: Centre Street / Central Avenue Bridge, Dover
Amount of Request: $2,000,000; Amount Received: $2,000,000
The funding would be used by the Town of Dover to replace the Central Avenue/Centre Street Bridge in approximately the same location while widening it to accommodate bicycle lanes and sidewalks. Funding sought is for design and permitting.
Project: Reconstruction of the West Street / Route 27 Intersection, Medfield
Amount of Request: $1,300,000; Amount Received: $1,300,000
The funding would be used by the Town of Medfield for the reconstruction of the intersection at West Street and Route 27 (North Meadows Road) in Medfield. The intersection is identified as a high crash location by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) (top 5%) for 2014-2016 and 2013-2015. It is also a MassDOT Top 200 Intersection Crash Cluster Location.
Image by MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information), Commonwealth of Massachusetts EOTSS, from Google Maps. Pictured above is the intersection of Route 27 and West Street in Medfield.Project: Millis Water Supply PFAS treatment planning, design, construction
Amount of Request: $6,100,000; Amount Received: $3,452,972
The funding would be used by the Town of Millis to design/construct treatment upgrades for the D’Angelis Water Treatment Plant. The D’Angelis Water Treatment Plant supplies almost 50% of the Town’s typical pumping demand, but it has been offline since September 2020. At that time, it was found to be in violation of new State drinking water regulations.
The Town of Millis community water system consists of six groundwater wells serving over 9,000 residential service connections. The population served includes a significant number of vulnerable customers, including five daycare centers, four schools, and senior housing.
Project: Beacon Street Historic Bridle Path Restoration Project
Amount of Request: $2,000,000; Amount Approved: $2,000,000
The funding would be used by the Town of Brookline for the reopening and restoration of the original design of Beacon Street’s Bridle Path as envisioned by Fredrick Law & John Charles Olmsted. The original design includes use as a two-way multi-use path which will improve safety and access for pedestrians, wheelchairs, cyclists, and micro-mobility users along the entire 2.3-mile length of Beacon Street within Brookline.
Project: Newton Commuter Rail Stations Accessibility Improvements, Newton
Amount of Request: $7,000,000; Amount Received: $7,000,000
Project Description: The funding would be used by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to address MBTA accessibility, reliability, and modernization needs at Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville.
The improvements will immediately increase operational resiliency by allowing service to both tracks. Planned improvements will include providing ADA accessibility through a combination of ramps, stairs, and elevators, providing equitable paths of travel for all; improving current operations by providing full-length, two sided high-level platforms for level boarding; improving station amenities including new benches, canopies, bike storage, etc.; and improving connections to local roads and existing parking areas. The improvements also support the MBTA’s long term goals as envisioned in the MBTA’s Rail Transformation plan.
West Newton Station by Adam Moss from Flickr.
Additional projects submitted by Congressman Auchincloss that were included in the House minibus:
The following requests have been approved and passed by the Appropriations Committee and are awaiting approval from the full House:
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Building Commissioner needs to keep his comments restricted to MA Code and how it relates to the proposed building. Not interject with his personal opinion that anything built smaller would be insufficient or impactable. Commissioner is to review the plans as proposed and render opinions as it relates to MA Buildin
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