patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Rail Trail

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Citizens Invited To Review Fall CPA Projects

Needham residents can ask questions and share thoughts on the three proposals.

Needham residents are encouraged to come hear about several projects that are being considered for Community Preservation Act funding at Needham's Oct. 29 special Town Meeting. The Community Preservation Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposals on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in selectmen's chambers at Needham Town Hall. Following the hearing, the Community Preservation Committee will decide whether to recommend each of the three projects at Town Meeting. All three projects appear in the October 2012 special Town Meeting warrant. In 2004, Needham adopted the Community Preservation Act and its 2 percent surcharge on local real estate property tax bills. According to state guidelines, the funds can be spent in three main …

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Citizen's Petition Articles Make It On Special Town Meeting Warrant

A Needham resident seeks to establish two committees to address safety and recreation issues.

Two citizen’s petition articles will appear on Needham’s Oct. 29 special Town Meeting warrant—one seeking to create a bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee and the other seeking to create a rail trail committee to study the town’s two section of unused railroad right-of-way. Both articles were submitted just under the deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 18 by Ridgeway Avenue resident Thomas Connors and have been certified by the town clerk's office. To appear on a special Town Meeting, citizen’s petition articles must include the signatures of 100 registered Needham voters, according to the petition sheet included in selectmen's agenda packets. The first petition article reads: The selectmen shall appoint a bicycle and pedestrian …

Monday, June 18, 2012

New Grant to Help Needham Study Defunct Railbed

The program will involve a partnership with Newton.

Newton has been selected to receive free technical assistance this year to help create a more sustainable community and study options for an old railbed in the city.  According to a press release issued by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), Newton will partner with Needham in the grant program to evaluate options for the defunct railbed that connects the two communities.  The Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance and the Building Sustainable Communities Consortium will award the grant through the U.S. EPA Office of Sustainable Communities' Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. The technical assistance looks to help communities achieve the following goals: “We are excited to lend our expertise to a wide range of …

Monday, May 14, 2012

Bay Colony Rail Trail Meeting Set May 30

Volunteers are needed to help with many aspects of the project, including a feasibility study, fundraising, event planning and more.

Those interested in helping to develop the Bay Colony Rail Trail through Needham are encouraged to attend a meeting on Wednesday, May 30 at the Public Services Administration Building. "There has been some good progress on the trail over the past six weeks [since] we last met—including town meetings in Medfield and Dover, each of which passed an article to provide funding for additional research on the rail trail," Bay Colony Rail Trail advocate Tad Staley wrote in a letter sent out via the town's listserv on Monday morning, May 14. "Needham town officials continue to move fast, and we have an opportunity to get 1-3 articles on the warrant for a special town meeting in October," Staley continued. "Because the rail trail is on the town's …

Friday, March 2, 2012

Needham Moves Forward With Bay Colony Rail Trail

Selectmen are seeking a lease from the MBTA for 2 miles of abandoned tracks

Needham could have a new two-mile recreational path within the next few years if plans for the Bay Colony Rail Trail move forward as projected. On Tuesday, Feb. 29, selectmen unanimously voted to authorize Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick to send a letter to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which owns approximately two miles of abandoned railroad tracks running through Needham, requesting that the MBTA consider drawing up a lease for the property. Tad Staley, founder of the nonprofit Bay Colony Rail Trail Association, said the MBTA has expressed interest in the reuse of the property for this purpose and in the past has leased land for similar projects for $1 per year over 99 years. Needham is one of several communities looking …

Got a Hot Tip?
 
 

Videos