Town project on Blake/Pierce St. cleared for CSX permit; CPA funding for park improvements falls short

The Master Plan Implementation Committee on June 11 heard that the town has executed a contract for the Blake/Pierce Street improvement project and has submitted the materials required by CSX for a permit. Lori Connors, the staff lead, said the paperwork was submitted earlier in the week and she "anticipate[d] getting the permit from CSX within the next two weeks." The contractor plans to begin construction later this summer, with committee members noting a preference to avoid work during Apple Fest.

The committee discussed related funding: Connors said a CPA (corrected from earlier transcript references to 'CPC') project for Blake Street Park failed to advance at town meeting in a 79–79 tie, leaving a gap in support for final construction documents. "There was some money that I had set aside to pay for the final construction drawings… I had set aside $22,000 of ARPA funds," she said, and the group decided to defer a decision on whether to spend those funds until August because the ARPA allocation expires on Dec. 31.

Committee members emphasized sequencing and dependencies. The town cannot set a firm construction schedule for reservoir or other related projects until permits and external grants are secured, and Connors said the current plan remains to begin physical work after the summer events and to meet the stated construction deadline of December 2026. "I do anticipate that they will beat the construction deadline of December 2026," Connors said.

Why it matters: the Blake/Pierce projects are tied to other local improvements (trees, pedestrian elements and ADA considerations) and to competitive state grant programs. The committee said it will revisit the ARPA funding question in August and report changes to the implementation matrix in an update memo to the Select Board.

What’s next: the committee will monitor CSX’s permit decision, update the implementation matrix and re-evaluate the $22,000 ARPA allocation at its August meeting before making a final decision about design completion.