Open Space & Recreation Committee - Regular Meeting

officially called this Mee into order um at approximately 3 minutes past 7 officially call this meeting of the open space and Recreation committee to order and I will begin with a roll call Travis Mast I'm here Steven Crawley here Elizabeth covy present and David Robbins is present currently absent are Shannon and Craig and Trevor so we don't have much on the agenda tonight um the first agenda item is the annual report when we reviewed the annual report at our January meeting I noted that we had not yet received all of the action item status updates I now have received all but one action item status update and the draft annual the revised draft annual report I circulated to you guys for this meeting uh reflects that and I added a little piece in that to show uh the changes in action item status from year to year so you can kind of read that and get a bit of a a sense that we're actually are making on progress the one action item for which I don't yet have a report is the economic development commission they discussed it and back at a at a January meeting weren't quite sure what to report because most of them are really new and the previous two years John Allen had done the report for them so they were kind of unfamiliar with that they were going to meet this week in fact I'm told that they were going to meet this evening uh at which point they would have been able to discuss it a little bit more but they

turns out they were unable to meet so they're not I'm told they're not going to be meeting till March so we won't have an official report from them on their one action item until it's way too late to submit our annual report so the annual report reflects uh basically a no action on their action item which is similar to what it's been the last couple years so I can't I really can't hold off on submitting the any report any longer although once I get their status I'll include their status in the actual action the detailed action item status report that I will be having posted to this committee's web page but for now um the an report is as far as I can tell it's ready to be submitted and unless any of you guys have any any suggestions for additional edits or changes to it I didn't have anything Dave this is Stephen nothing for me I thought it looked okay yeah so if there's nothing further then I suppose it would a motion would be in order to approve the draft anual report for submission to the town administrator's office uh Stephen will make a motion to approve the draft report of the open space and Recreation committee for 2024 I'll second that moved and seconded any discussion on the motion hearing none roll call vote Travis yes Elizabeth yes Stephen yes and Dave votes yes motion carried unanimously uh I will get that sent off to the ta's office tomorrow and the next item on the agenda

is the open space article 97 inventory updates since our last meeting I've actually you know got had I made a slight update to the open space article 97 inventory the town is now the proud owner of the uh the the two Robinson Parcels of budding Silver Lake that we voted last year to acire so I know the that transaction has been completed so I thought I'd update the inventory to include that and uh I mentioned at the last meeting that the article 97 inventory was being reviewed by Town Council what I circulated for the meeting tonight is the result Town Council had uh had basically said added added a section on a a relatively new law that had been passed since the last time I wrote up the uh the the explanation of article 97 so with that I think that inventory and with the addition of those two Silver Lake Parcels the article 97 inventory is up to date um Steven did suggest that maybe a a uh a year 1,4 was probably not accurate that was the only I was grinning to myself when I saw her like okay that that's all I can contribute to to any change on that was that now I know that I intended to type 2014 every so often what I intend to type and what actually shows up is not quite the same so I appreciate you pointing that out otherwise I'd be of an embarrassing mistake so that doesn't you know that

that doesn't require any Committee Action that's more for committee's information and uh now that Town Council has reviewed that I'll be I'll be having the open space inventory in the article 97 you know those two updated documents uh posted also on on the website on our page and any unless you have anything else any questions or comments about those two inventory documents uh just to comment Dave I personally want to thank you for all the work that must you put into creating and maintaining those two documents that is just it's a Monumental task I I I'm not sure I'd have any opportunity to to achieve the same you've just uh you've outdone yourself yeah well I I did most of the work that went into that I did back in 2020 When I Was preparing the open space inventory for inclusion in the open space and record plan which we were just wrapping up at that point um the uh the previous you know the previous inventory had been done back in 2007 and in the process of updating that I I thought I'd try to I I really wanted to do as much research as I could to you to just to be sure that we've got all the open open space Parcels identified and properly categorized so that involve looking reviewing town meeting votes meeting minutes going back many years registry of deeds documents that that was that was a lot of work but since then I've been I would typically sit down once a year look at any town meeting votes and registry of deeds act activity that's taken place

since the last time I looked so that's it's been relatively easy to keep it up to date yeah great you do a fantastic job but yeah I I I I'm glad I'm I appreciate your recognition of that and it's it's kind of a thankless job because if it doesn't it doesn't make you most people don't pay wouldn't pay attention to that anyway it's it's a topic that's only of interest to relatively few of us in town yeah but y I'm keep my one of my motivations for keeping it up to date is so that the next the next open space and Recreation plan no one has to start from scratch to build that inventory and thank you for that Dave and I I have no idea who's going to be involved in doing the next open spacing Rec but I think it's due for an update within a couple two or three years so Shannon is joining us hello sorry I'm late not not a problem I I will admit that it's unusual for us to have a zoom only meeting for this committee that's okay I just I did I learned my lesson I need to read the instructions more carefully oh heavens I've done it myself Shannon I've shown up at a number of meetings where we're over Zoom only yeah if there's one thing you read the instructions only as a last resort yeah oh man anyway just for your for for your and Shannon to to do the minutes for this you can you you can always you know re review the video for the first part of it we haven't done much okay you we voted to approve the annual report we've just been talking about the open space in article 97

inventory and unless you unless you had any comments on either of those topics jannon uh no okay so we'll move into our next agenda item the topic of protection of unprotected open space for that I reached out to Fiona to see if she had any updates for us and following our last meeting she's continuing to work on the 227 Milford Road parcel continuing to you look through the archives to see if there's any other any relevant information that we don't are know y beyond that that's that's not a not on the top of her priority list and uh I think i' I've repeatedly told her that it's really you it's not something that we consider super urgent it's you know we'll get it done when we get it done the only so other than that you know that's Stella work in progress Fiona is going to be you know continuing to work on it as she has time uh the other question for us is are there any other parts of the land that we would like to begin pursuing for protection protection status I recall that at the January meeting piona reported to us a couple of parcels that the Conservation Commission has expressed an interest in protecting but any any thoughts on should we start looking at other I I know Leah has mentioned that they have a list uh that they' they've had for quite a while that they're interested in pursuing I haven't seen it though but I just know that there is a list yeah at at interest to the conom

yeah at the last meeting Fiona passed on she she had identified four Parcels that were that she said was that she got those from Leah U okay great uh one was 46 Adams Road which we've already placed under kcon control we did that by town meeting vote several years ago uh there's Parcels at one and two Side putam Lane there's 60 Fairy Street and 268 upt in streight rear so those are the four that Fiona had identified for us um the plam lane Parcels they abought the Hennessy land uh they're already class categorized as article is heavenland because they were needed to the town as open space but they're they've not been placed under concom control which might be uh might be desirable 60 fery Street which abuts the maple Veil States Conservation Area you know the town acquired that by tax title couple of years ago but uh it has not yet been given any kind of protection status similarly 268 up in Street rear which abust abuts the Taft Parker Prescott land also we acquired that by tax title about 20 years ago according to my notes U but again it it has does not currently have any protection status it is not currently protected so would would would the committee recommend that we ask Fiona to begin and or fion and Leah working together to to follow up specifically on the those Parcels to uh uh place them under concom control I think following up I think that's the start but I would be very I I would be so I would be curious what is

the criteria so I is it have to AB but the conservation land today because I'm just not familiar with all the properties so if those are the ones that have been recommended then yes I think she should begin to pursue those but is there a criteria that's established so so we could make a more educated recommendation not really I mean you you you'll recall that we did the parsal prioritization project completed that last year the the fery street parcel came up with a prioritization score of 11 which is sort of in the middle the Upton Street parcel at a priority score of 13 which is kind of a s similarly situated so they're not they're not super high on the prioritization list however be I think Leo's interest in that and or conservation's interest in it is you know simply because they do ab but existing conservation land so I think just in terms of overall of criteria for for considering whether to follow up in this it's really kind of flexible it's like you know the partial prioritization score is one factor that we can we would consider uh specifically uh the idea that these already AB they about exist in conservation land making them kind of a logical extension of conservation land makes a lot of sense and it's in the case of land that the town already owns it's simply a matter of placing them under concom control and if nothing else we can just you know sort of Punt further consideration of parcels off to our next meeting so we didn't nothing we really need to decide tonight but if it's something that if it's something that we all think is worth pursuing Without Really further thought then uh maybe we

want to do that or recommend that I don't want to again that's putting more work on staff and and I I I don't want to burden the staff overly much but uh well any any other thoughts why Dave why wouldn't we do that why wouldn't we want to authorize that I think I can't think of a reason that the only reason the the only reason I would be even at at the least bit reluctant is simply to that it puts it it it puts more work on our staff but it's something that I think is clearly desirable to be done sooner or later and if we and if right now we we think it's highly it's it's definitely worth pursuing then yeah let's Let's uh let's add that to the list of things that staff can do for us and you again whenever they get it around to it it's by and large these you know these Parcels are all for all practical purposes they probably are effectively conservation land just because no nothing else is being done with them but uh it's just Mak official by making it official it if yeah I don't see any reason I well I don't personally I'm not the staff doing the work so I I it's it's a logical step to move forward with us yep it feels like it's our job to do that and all we're asking is to kind of codify or codify the the work's been done they've identified the parcel so it's more about acknowledging them and I there's no you know we might as well get a CU to have that done if there's no urgency then should still get it on the dock that's my

op yeah so if if we're if we're all comfortable saying yes we should we think these these Parcels should be hand basically handed over to the Conservation Commission to to formally make them you know officially conservation land I'd say we just go ahead and we'll you know I'll I'll communicate that to Fiona that we're interested that that that we think these these lands all all ought to become official conservation land and like I said since the town already owns them uh it's just a matter of basically it's a matter of town meeting voting to place them under concom control so do you need a motion for that or can we just agree I think that I think the chair here might recognize motion that this committee recommends that these Parcels be placed under concom control in fact I I think maybe I heard Elizabeth make that motion I did so moved yes second okay move moveing to seconded any discussion of the motion hearing none Travis yes Sten yes Shannon yes Elizabeth yes and Dave votes yes motion carried to unanimously I will forward that information on to piona tomorrow and any anything else that any of you want to discuss with respect to this ongoing consideration of protection for unprotected open space I mean there's obviously a lot more that we can look at over time but we I think we we started out in this saying well let's let's let's pick the 27 mil for Road parcels you know and and

get the work going on those and now we've got a few more that we we're comfortable saying go ahead with and we can continue to review the others over time but for now we good with this yeah there's I was going to say there's definitely a few other Parcels that I feel might be a little bit more like time critical like just looking at the gis um the the one at 268 Upton Street I mean that's a pond um in in Wetlands so I don't think it's in any danger of being like developed or it would never be a suitable spot for like say a school or anything like that because it's it's just water um but I I do agree that it should be protected that's very important but like I would say I look forward to you know getting to some of the other ones like some of the more wooded lots that could actually be used for something yep for examp for just as an example um seven Institute Road it's about 20 acres of forest owned by the town with I think on the spreadsheet it says limited or uncertain protection yes yes that would that would be a good a good one to look at that that has has been called a Town Forest an Institute Road Forest or something like that but that's one of the things I looked at back when I was first putting this inventory together uh that that and one other which I don't remember off the top of my head they were at least in some documents they were identified as Town forests but I could find no record of them having been

placed under control of the Forest committee or any other you know anything else that would that would give them formal protection okay so that yeah that that that I think that's a that's a good example of something where uh you they would we probably want to look at but yeah we don't I guess let's let's continue to continue to look at other parcels and and identify other C what's kind of our game plan is to is to go through our our list of you know all the all the parcels that conceivably you that the town owns that are not currently protected and which one of those ought to be protected and we've got some easy ones here right now but uh yeah there's there's certainly more we could do or yeah and not just protective it I mean to Shannon's Point what are the most vulnerable if you think about Institute grow that is vulnerable if we don't protect it just given the growth and development there that one I would put as something we should look at sooner yep okay good anything else on this topic for now yeah we'll we'll I I'll keep this on our agenda for future meeting so that we can uh you know continue to look at parcel and and identify the next ones that we think ought to be given attention have any other sorry Dave has any other committees come to us with with a a request besides concom not that I'm aware well yeah no no one else has come to us I mean you know at the last meeting Fiona passing on the the concom that short comcon list

of parcel that it's really the first I've heard of any any any other committee making some suggestions for uh land that deserves protection is it that they they don't know who to communicate that need to or or it it they just there's no need yeah I suspect that if any other Town board or committee would have have thoughts about land that ought to be protected it would be conomon I'm not sure about any others you know possibly the trails committee might think of some you know interesting Trail land that maybe ought to be protected but they're you know they they're just they're they're I'm not sure where they're at now but they it's a relatively new committee and I'm not sure you how how much work they've done in trying to think about future Trail needs okay other than that I don't I don't know of anyone any other committee that well maybe Recreation has some ideas but I don't know somebody from Recreation might have some ideas we need a we need a recreation building yeah did I did ask I did send the lists to and the maps to the land trust to get their input on it I mean I know they have their own um priorities um but I did send it to them because I am their representative so right right that's right yeah the the land trust would be another another group that yeah I might expect to have some ideas along these lines with again so and you you you you've

Shannon you've forwarded forwarded the information to the trust so if if anybody in the trust has any thoughts I'm assuming they'll probably report back through you yes it'll be it should be on the um an upcoming agenda if anyone has any comments on it yep and in any case this is kind of an open-ended but sort of long-term project for us because you know some some of these things will be more obvious than others and who knows who know who knows what else might come up okay uh if we're done with that then the last agenda item is to review the minutes of the January meeting which Shannon circulated to us earlier today I looked over the minutes I didn't see anything that I thought needed changing but motion to approve the minutes would be in order now Dave I wasn't at the last meeting I I shouldn't vote on the the minutes it's up to you there's as far as I know there's no rule saying that just because you weren't at the meeting you doesn't mean you can't vote minutes but uh sorry so some people choose to abstain from voting on the minutes if they weren't at the meeting but not everybody does that it's really to you I reviewed the minutes they looked they looked fine I'll move to approve the minutes from January 15 2025 second moved in second that minutes be approved as drafted any discussion on

the motion hearing none Travis yes Stephen yes Shannon yes Elizabeth yes and day votes yes motion carried unanimously the minutes are approved with that I believe we' reached the end of our agenda which means a motion to ajour or would be in order motion to adjourn second that moving to second that this meeting be adjourned Travis yes Stephen yes Shannon yes Elizabeth yep and D votes I motion carried unanimously we are adjourned