Open Space Committee Meeting: January 27, 2025

Open Space Committee

Meeting date:
Monday, January 27, 2025

Attendance: Rick Gardener, Susan Downing, Deb Cary (via ZOOM), Laura Reynolds

The meeting was called to order at 7:04pm.

The minutes from December, 2024 were unanimously approved at 7:08pm

At 7:10 pm Brian Specht was unanimously approved as our new alternate. His application is currently with the selectboard.

The Annual Report was written by Rick. It has been reviewed by the entire committee. The report will be sent to the selectboard.

Budget: We have requested a budget of $985.00 for the fiscal year beginning 7/2025

Bike Park: There has been considerable neighborhood objection to the proposed plan of Park & Rec to have a bike park at Boylston Park. While it is not our department, we are currently thinking of alternative sites that might work for such a bike park

WPI Project: Trails Grant reapplication is in process. We would love to have WPI students work with us on the planning/design aspects of the handicapped accessible paths at Thomas Prince School. To obtain WPI student involvement we need to have a written proposal submitted to the WPI instructor three months in advance of their semester involvement (June for September involvement; November for January involvement). It was the opinion of committee members that it would be useful to have the student involvement whether or not we obtain the grant funding. We need to write up two potential proposals:

1. If we get the grant what would be the student involvement/activities/role

2. If we do NOT get the grant what would be the student involvement/activities/role

Trail Summitt: 2/2/25, 2-4pm

Intro: Rick, 5 minutes to split into discussion groups

30 minute discussion groups led by Susan; (trails and trail locations/gaps), and Laura ;(trail maintenance/documentation/signage)

Switch to the second 30 minute discussion groups

Gather as a full group, review results of smaller group discussions, address any further questions etc and Deb will summarize and close the session

Rick will send out email reminders/invitations

Annie is in charge of refreshments

Trails: Trail work is done on the Mirick Trail. New signage needs to be put up when weather permits

Red Fox Farm, there are some reports of dogs running loose. Hikers should park at the corner of Ball Hill Rd. and Rt 31 where there is space for 4 to 5 cars, NOT along Rt 31.

TPS, the grant for funding to cover planning/design/initial construction is in process. There have been many letters received in support of this project and those have been submitted with the application (including: Wachusett Garden Club, Boy Scouts Princeton Chapter, TPS Principal, School Board and Open Space Committee, Princeton OSC, Mass Audubon, Princeton Highway Department).

Trail Maintenance: Job descriptions and liability waivers are being sent to those who have volunteered to be in charge of a trail and its maintenance. As these are being returned the forms are being filed in the OSC shared documents folder. For now it was decided that Rick would communicate updates and concerns with the landowners

Parcel Work: PLT is actively at work on exploring parcel options, determining procedures for communicating with landowners and they are rewriting a brochure to provide information to potential land donors with case studies and different avenues for setting aside land for conservation purposes.

Princeton Hikes! Susan is leading the Saturday hikes and the senior hikes. There has been a senior hike at Heywood Reservoir and on the Rail Trail in Sterling. There have been Saturday hikes at the PLT Central trails; the new Mirick trail and Wachusett Mountain southeast section as well as at the Wolf Den area of LSF.

Nature Walks: Rick is going to send out emails to previous nature walk leaders to gauge interest/topics /availability for leading a walk this spring.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm. Our NEXT MEETING is 2/11/25.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Downing