Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Group Spotlights Sudbury Town Meeting Items

The following letter to the editor does not reflect the views of Sudbury Patch

Please attend Sudbury Town Meeting starting on May 2, and vote Yes on Articles 18, 19, 47 and 48 to support construction of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

INTRODUCTION

We are pleased to report that the pace of design, environmental permitting, and state agency approval for construction of the 4.4-mile Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Sudbury (i.e., Phase 2D) has picked up considerably in the past several months.

The next, and hopefully final, Town Meeting votes needed for construction to begin will take place at the Annual Town Meeting on May 2.

There are four articles pertaining to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail on the 2022 Annual Town Meeting Warrant; two sponsored by the Select Board and two sponsored by the Community Preservation Committee.

SELECT BOARD ARTICLES

Articles 19 and 20 are for construction easements, which are necessary for construction to begin.

Article 19: One-time funding, estimated to be up to $15,000 in total, for temporary construction easements across privately owned land or non-town owned land to allow for construction of the BFRT. No taking of private land is needed.

This is a 2/3 majority vote Article. Select Board supports Article 19.

Article 20: Needed for the Town to allow construction access, that is an easement, across Town owned land to construct the BFRT. Minimal (if any) cost to the Town.

This is a majority vote Article. Select Board supports Article 20.

Upon passage of Articles 19 and 20, the town will be able to sign the lease documents with MassDOT and request a Right of Way Certificate which will clear the way for construction to begin. At that point MassDOT will be able to advertise the project for construction bids. If all goes well, groundbreaking could take place in late summer or early fall, though more likely early 2023.

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE ARTICLES

There are two articles sponsored and supported by the Sudbury Community Preservation Committee (CPC) on the 2022 Town Meeting Warrant. Approval of these articles will not increase taxes because the funds exist and are being held by CPC for recommended uses.

Article 47: To allow up to $500,000 in spending, for items which may not be paid for by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), such as rest area structures, utility connections, hydration stations, interpretative signs, and play structures for children. These complimentary amenities would substantially enhance accessibility, safety, comfort, and use of the rail trail and nearby athletic facilities. It would raise the BFRT rail trail to a new level.

This is a majority vote Article. Select Board supports Article 47.

Article 48: This article supports initial development of the rail trail corridor south of Union Ave. Sudbury citizens voted last year to purchase this land from CSX, to extend the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail southwards. This article supports the first steps in this process, especially linking the current construction project to the intersection with Rt 20.

This is a majority vote Article. Select Board supports Article 48.

TRANSFORM A DREAM INTO A REALITY

The entire cost of trail construction of Phase 2D of the BFRT in Sudbury, over $12 million will be covered by state and federal funds. Completion of the 4.4-mile Phase 2D Sudbury section will extend the BFRT to 19.8 miles of continuous, paved trail north to Lowell.

The Board of the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail urges you to attend annual Town Meeting on May 2 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The Board of the Friends of the BFRT enthusiastically supports all four articles and recommends a "Yes" vote on all four.

These are the last hurdles to construction of the 4.4 miles of the BFRT in Sudbury north of Station Road. We all have waited a long time and many of us have worked hard to bring the BFRT to- Sudbury. We are almost there. Your vote is critical to getting us across the finish line, and out onto the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. As a Sudbury resident, please attend Town Meeting on May 2, and cast your votes that will transform our dream into a reality.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

—Tom Michelman, President of the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail