The town’s Economic Development Commission approved sending a request to the Select Board to form a committee to determine if the town should participate in the state’s Complete Streets Program. The commission would like that committee to study building a connector from the Rail Trail to College Highway.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
SOUTHWICK — With an eye toward connecting the Rail Trail to College Highway, the Economic Development Commission unanimously approved sending a letter to the Select Board asking it to establish an ad hoc committee that would determine if the state’s Complete Streets Program is a right fit for the town.
“So, I’m just making a recommendation to the Select Board to constitute an ad hoc committee to study a potential use for a million-dollar Complete Streets grant,” said EDC chair Greg Deily during the commission’s meeting on Dec. 17.
“That’s all we’re saying here. It’s not even defining what that proposal would be other than we should have a committee that studies it,” Deily said.
His reasoning is that the program is important for the economic development of the town.
“The main benefit would be economic development for the town and the quality of life,” he said.
In September, the Select Board listened to a proposal from the assistant DPW Director Jon Goddard about the Complete Streets program.
Goddard said that it was relatively easy for the town to participate in the program, an incentive-based initiative providing technical assistance and construction grants of up to $1,000,000 to municipalities for designing safe, accessible roads for all users — pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists of all ages/abilities. It focuses on enhancing safety, equity and multimodal mobility through infrastructure improvements.
All the town needs to do to participate is adopt a Complete Streets policy that outlines its commitment to designing and operating its streets for all users.
Once the town commits, it would immediately qualify for a $38,000 technical assistance grant to develop a detailed prioritization plan.
With that step done, the town would then qualify for grant funding to carry out the initiatives.
At the EDC meeting, Commissioner Craig Samuelsen said he wanted the letter to the Select Board to ask for more than just establishing an ad hoc committee.
“I wish we had more teeth in it,” Samuelsen said, referring to the letter asking for the committee. “I mean, if something needs to be done, then why don’t they just do it?”
Deily said unless a process was laid out, it might just get pushed aside.
“We’ve got to make it easy for them,” Deily said, referring to the Select Board.
Commissioner Stephen Roache supported an ad hoc committee being formed to research the projects related to the program and make proposals to the Select Board.
“It can make proposals for why we should do this and then have them use their authority to say yes,” Roache said.
Deily said that while researching the program, he found that nearly every city and town in the state, apart from Southwick, have used the Complete Streets program.
“Towns like Granville and Chester have all jumped on it and took advantage of it … and I think we should because we have projects.”
One of those projects is connecting the rail trail to College Highway. The idea has been bouncing around for over a year, but no real steps have been taken to make it a reality.
Deily hopes that having the committee could move it along.
“I’ve got an initial suggestion which is to do the bike path connector, which will greatly increase the value of the bike path traffic, and in doing the connector, I also see it connecting to a safe pedestrian bike crossing on College Highway,” he said.
Commissioner Serena Fuller asked if the connector would cross the Christ Lutheran Church property, asking three times if that was the church Deily attends.
Deily said the route could be adjusted and he envisioned it ending somewhere near the Summer House and creating a crosswalk to cross College Highway.
“I’m not proposing the exact point, but to find the ideal crossing point that would allow people to get across,” he said.
He also said that, currently, the closest crosswalk is at the intersection of College Highway and Route 57/Feeding Hills Road.
“If you’re at the Summer House and you want to cross just the highway, the alternative to it is to walk all the way to the light [at the intersection] … which is a half mile,” Deily said.
He said he’s already done some preliminary work on connector. The Christ Lutheran Church council, he said, was 100% on board if the connector needed to cross its property.
With the construction of the 100-unit condominium project on Depot Street starting soon, Deily said he communicated with the developer and that he “definitely” would cooperate. The connector would need to intersect the condo-project property.
Deily also said he had spoken to David DeiDolori, the chair of the Parks & Recreation Commission.
“He’s done some initial estimates. His estimate, kind of on the high side, would be $500,000,” Deily said, which prompted Samuelsen to ask how long the connector might be.
Deily said a quarter mile, and there were no major bridges or culverts that might increase the cost.
The only structure in the way in the gas pipeline.
Deily said he walked the proposed route with a representative of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and was told crossing over it was “definitely doable.”
“So in any case, those are all issues to be dealt with. We’re not proposing a finished proposal. This is a proposal to study it … to not do, or do it,” he said.
Fuller asked who might serve on the ad hoc committee if the Select Board allows it.
Deily thought a representative from the DPW, the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Planning Board and the Select Board.
