UPDATED Sept. 11: The Arlington Select Board has approved tree removals to create a safe walking route for Stratton students, endorsed official letters regarding a proposed development at Alewife station and approved a new tea company in town.
The board met for nearly two hours on Monday, Sept. 9, to decide on 18 agenda items. Chair Stephen W. DeCourcey led the meeting attended by board members Lenard Diggins, John Hurd and Diane Mahon.
Safe-walking improvements
The board also approved a plan to remove 12 public shade trees in Arlington, replacing them with 16 trees, as part of the Stratton Elementary School Safe Routes to School Project, shown in map at left.
“This [project] is based on a 2019 grant that the town received from MassDOT, and the purpose of the project is to create a safe and accessible walking route” to Stratton, said John Alessi, Arlington’s senior transportation planner.
Walks must comply with ADA
The plan is to improve every sidewalk to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some current issues on this route include narrow and steep sections, missing crosswalks and stop signs.
To improve this walking route, 12 public shade trees in town will be affected. Each will be replaced with a similar tree, and four new trees will be planted, resulting in 16 trees on the route.
Residents presented their concerns and questions surrounding the project.
Neighbor says she was not told
“We were not aware of the tree removals until this meeting right now,” said Lenore Wadman, a resident who said her property will be affected. “Nobody contacted us, and I’m fairly certain that none of our neighbors are aware either.”
The hearing on Monday night was only to approve tree removals as part of the project, said DeCourcey. Alessi added that once MassDOT completes the plan, the town will notify each property affected by the project in a formal process.
“Even if there is an inch of someone’s property that is going to be impacted, the town is going to be responsible for sending out a letter of intent to the property owner, scheduling an in-person meeting with the property owners to look at the engineering designs,” said Alessi. “And talking through with our town engineer Bill Copithrone about what the impacts are going to be.”
No official outlined specifically why 12 trees had to be removed, but the addition of some sidewalks and restructure the route likely requires it.
Read details about this plan, including where the affected trees are, here >>
Approved letters regarding MBTA’s Alewife project
The board approved two letters regarding the MBTA’s proposed redevelopment of the Alewife garage complex.
One of these letters will be sent to Philip Eng, the general manager and CEO of the MBTA, and the other to Gov. Maura Healy, requesting that the impact of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on the Arlington community be considered as part of this redevelopment.
The proposed project could include all of the MBTA’s property in that location, including the Red Line station, a parking garage and the commuter rail right-of-way, among other things.
But the project may result in increasing CSOs, which have been a pollutant issue for Arlington for years.
At last month’s meeting, the board decided to read drafts of the letters at the first September meeting. Town Counsel Michael Cunningham submitted these drafts with the help of board member Mahon, Town Manager Jim Feeney and local advocacy groups, such as the 2-year-old Save the Alewife Brook.
Approved license for new tea company
The board approved the Vintage Tea & Cake Co. opening at 677 Mass Ave., where Mamadou’s Bakery had been.
The tea room and catering service will be the company’s third location, including two in Lexington and Belmont.
Approved future Select Board meeting dates
The Select Board agreed to future meetings for the next three months. They will occur on Oct. 7 and 21, Nov. 4 and 18 as well as Dec. 4 and 16.
In other business, the board:
- Approved a proclamation regarding Hunger Action Day in Arlington;
- Approved the Bikeway Block Party to take place at Whittemore Park on Sept. 15 from 1 to 6 p.m.;
- Approved the reappointments of Peter Martini and Allen Reedy to the Permanent Town Building Committee;
- Approved two murals on switch boxes at Summer Street and Park Avenue and at Broadway and Cleveland Street, to raise awareness of the Electrify Arlington program;
- Approved minutes of meetings on July 22 and Aug. 5;
- Approved requests for contractor/drain layer licenses to Cavalieri Construction Co. Inc. and Darvin and Jack Masonry;
- Accepted funds from various entities for the Town Day celebration;
- Approved the Hamantash Run 5k in March 9;
- Approved a request for a special (one-day) beer and wine license on Sept. 14 at Robbins Memorial Town Hall for Stratton School Family Outing Fundraiser;
- Approved a special (one-day) beer-and-wine license on Sept. 21 (Town Day) at David Lamson Way for Town Day Beer Garden;
- Approved a request for a special (one-day) beer-and-wine license and street closing on Oct. 5 for Oktoberfest at the Old Schwamb Mill from noon to 4 p.m.;
- Heard the new double-pole summary report.
Select Board member Eric Helmuth was absent.
Watch ACMi video:
Sept. 1, 2024: State gets down and dirty aiding Alewife Brook cleanup
This news summary by freelance writer Jessie Castellano was published Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, and updated Sept. 11, to add brief notes and an ACMi video window.
