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Pictured is a single page from the voluminous 25% design submittal for what the MA Department of Transportation calls a "reconstruction" of Canton Street.
9-20-2023 12:45am
Select Board Hears about Canton Street Residents' Opposition to Proposed Sidewalk Design
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Westwood residents of Canton Street are unified in opposition to the initial 25% submittal of a proposed design of what town officials are calling Canton Street Sidewalk Project, according to Todd Korchin, director of Westwood’s Department of Public Works (DPW), and Michael Kraft, chair of the town’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (Ped Bike), in separate presentations last week during a remotely convened Select Board meeting.
DPW Director Korchin noted that fully one hundred percent of the approximately 20 residents with whom his department has met are direct abutters who oppose the project's current design. He says they have “very valid concerns” that include the design’s proposed removal of trees, a disturbance of a rock wall, and a “misinterpretation” of the design’s shared used path which Mr. Korchin says has been interpreted as a third lane on Canton Street.
“It is not our intention to destroy that corridor at all,” stated Mr. Korchin. He explained that DPW’s goal has been to present a project with the best chances of obtaining state and federal funding.
“We have to start somewhere, and it was my decision to start with a level of design that gave the town the decision and the opportunity to have a funding mechanism in place, so we’re not digging into our pocket right out of the gate," said Mr. Korchin.
The DPW director also expressed his acceptance if the town decides not to proceed. But he cautioned that certain requirements must be met to receive state funding. He stated he did not know the degree to which the new governor’s administration may be flexible with standards for obtaining state funding.
Mr. Kraft commented government funding is a “tremendous financial opportunity for the town,” but if it “alienates” those most affected, it may not be the best plan for Westwood. He described residents’ concerns with the proposed design’s removal of old growth trees which he said would negatively affect the neighborhood and “completely change” some front yards.
Mr. Korchin also acknowledged that to call the project’s impact on residents “minimal” would be incorrect.
Mr. Kraft and Mr. Korchin both stated their assessments that they have heard universal support for a sidewalk, but that support for the current project design is lacking.
“The neighbors, that have approached us, all favor a sidewalk on Canton Street," said Mr. Kraft. "But there’s a perception, from what we’ve heard, that there’s not been sufficient public involvement in the design process. Residents have expressed that they are being told that this is the plan and that there’s no flexibility, as well as they believe there’s not sufficient disclosure of the scope of work, the impact on their property, or the inclusion of those that live on Canton Street. They also add there seems to be little consideration of the aesthetics of the plan,” he said.
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Mr. Kraft proposed that instead of the current design’s 10 foot wide multi-use path and 6 foot wide buffer zones, an alternative could be strategically planting more trees to create an aesthetically pleasing buffer between traffic and pedestrians. He proposed a meandering path among the existing trees, rather than the current design that would remove them. He also proposed moving the existing rock wall closer toward the street, rather than away from the street. A pedestrian walkway could be placed behind the wall, he said.
Mr. Kraft presented Ped Bike’s recommendation that Select Board establish a Canton Street sidewalk committee to review the existing plan and an alternative. He said the committee should include neighbors on Canton Street, the head of DPW, the town planner, members of Select Board, members of Planning Board, and Ped Bike.
Residents may prefer a design that reduces the overall impact to the neighborhood, even at the cost of state funding, noted Mr. Kraft. Trees proposed to be removed should be clearly marked to inform the public, he added.
At Town Meeting on May 2, 2022, Westwood residents voted in favor of an article to approve borrowing $900,000 to fund a Canton Street Sidewalk Design. Some of the same arguments being raised now were also raised prior to the May 2022 vote. Residents against the article were concerned that trees and an old stone wall would be removed for a sidewalk. Those in favor noted that a sidewalk would promote greater pedestrian safety, create traffic calming, and would knit the surrounding neighborhood together. Proponents also noted that a completed sidewalk design would make state funding more likely.
However, it is unclear to Westwood Minute whether, at the time of the May 2022 Town Meeting vote, voters were able to envision other aspects raised by the currently proposed design. The warrant article was accompanied by an explanatory note from Select Board, that stated that the funding would help secure a MA State Transportation Improvement Program Grant. However, the actual text of the approved article did not mention state funding, design parameters, or any restrictions for what the sidewalk design would include. It stated simply:
Source: Town of Westwood Finance and Warrant Commission 2022 Annual Report Warrant and Recommendations for Annual Town Meeting Monday, May 2, 2022 at page 24.Additional features of the current proposed project design, which Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) calls a “reconstruction” of Canton Street, includes not just a sidewalk but also a shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists on the opposite side of Canton Street. The proposed design requires that the Town of Westwood obtain temporary and permanent easements in order to proceed. The Town of Westwood recently announced that residents will be asked to vote on a supplemental funding request for acquiring necessary easements.
A MassDOT public hearing is being held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 28th at Westwood's Downey School. The hearing is intended to fully acquaint the public with the project and for state representatives to consider public comment “to the maximum extent possible,” according to the hearing notice.
Regarding next steps, Mr. Korchin said that he would seek feedback from the state the week following the public hearing. He plans to report back to Select Board at its October meeting, and stated his hopes that the state would have flexibility to make accommodations.
Source: MA Department of Transportation Highway Division via Town of Westwood website, Canton Street 25% Design Plans, Page 77 of 91. The top diagram shows the current configuration of a slice of Canton Street, and the bottom figure shows the same area under the proposed reconstruction. Click image for a link to the full design plan of many more pages.
