Selectmen speak out on bike path
Published on January 6th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - The Board of Selectmen spoke up about their concerns with the proposed bike path on Tuesday night, stating that questions which have arisen about its safety deserve to be addressed in some format.
Selectmen Al Conti and Patrick Jordan were visibly perturbed by the lack of communication between the various committees in Woburn, Winchester and Stoneham which are planning the path's construction and were also upset that no updates have been given as to when and how the traffic safety issues which bikers will likely encounter on portions of the path will be resolved.
"At some point, we've got to address those concerns because they're there," Jordan said. "They're real."
Conti agreed, saying, "I think we should have an open dialogue now. The biggest concerns are the crossings (of roadways). Our concern is, 'Is this a feasible project from the standpoint of safety?'"
Conti said he would like to see a diagram of where the bike path would run and where it is expected that it would cross roadways.
Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said that funding for designs has become available to the Tri-Community Bikeway Committee, but plans would likely not be available for review until the summer of 2000.
"This is not a complicated project," Conti stated. "It's not something that can't be understood by common man. It's a bike path."
Both selectmen said that the sooner these safety problems are resolved, the better.
The selectmen also voiced concern over the appearance of an application for a liaison between the three towns which appeared in their packets just prior to the meeting. This application would be sent to the state in order to request $10,000 in salary for this individual to coordinate various bike path responsibilities in Woburn, Winchester and Stoneham.
Jordan objected to the timing of the application, which was due into the state on January 11, and stated that such timing problems have arisen in the past in matters pertaining to the bike path.
"It just strikes me once again that we have to make a decision at the last minute (whether to apply for the grant). Once again it's just stuck in our face."
After a unanimous vote in favor of applying for the grant was taken, he said, "I'm not doing this again. I'm drawing a line in the sand. If you want me to vote for these things, give me some time to think about it."
In other selectmen business:
• Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello was more vocal than usual in his stand on the eligibility of out-of-towners to take active roles on town boards and committees.
Ciccarello asked for the Board of Selectmen's support of a Town Meeting article which would prohibit out-of-towners from being voting members of boards and committees appointed by either the town moderator or the Board of Selectmen.
"I feel very strongly that any appointment made by the town moderator or the Board of Selectmen should be a resident of the town," he said. "I feel very strongly about this.
"We're paying the taxes. We should decide in which direction this town is going."
Ciccarello vowed to stay the course on his own if the board failed to support his article. Board members appeared to favor the notion, but asked that Ciccarello, along with Town Counsel William Solomon, draft a version of such an article for their review.
• Selectman Anthony Kennedy explained to the board that the MWRA had failed to turn Spot Pond over to the MDC as it had promised at a December meeting. He said that the MWRA board failed to vote on the article which would allow MDC the rights to the land and further the process to open it up for recreational use.
After some discussion, the selectmen decided to write a letter to the MWRA requesting an explanation and to State Senator Richard Tisei and state representatives Paul Casey and Mike Festa asking them to put some pressure on the state entity to take such action.
• Nutting received approval to move forward with eminent domain takings for a portion of Phase 2 of the town common/parking lot project. Nutting explained that the town had reached an agreement with one property owner and had already bought the property of another and received the right from the board, by a unanimous vote, to officially take the land for the town.
• The board granted a dance and DJ license to Montvale Plaza for private functions.
A question arose during the discussion about whether the applicant, Marty's Caterers of Medford, was seeking a license for both private and public functions. It was decided to grant the private function license and contact the owner in order to ask about the possibility of his seeking a public license as well.
• The board also voted on a curfew for future meetings.
Stating that board meetings which, at times, have run well beyond midnight are counterproductive, Nutting asked that the board set some type of deadline which would curtail the late night sessions.
The board unanimously voted in favor of an 11 pm curfew which would halt board business and continue matters to future meeting
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