Email us at Savereformatorytrailbedford@gmail.com
The buck stops here at the Town's official website for the project. Whatever you have heard from anyone about this project, check it against the Town's own files. Main site is here:
For details on PROP Temporary Construction Easements, see cross sections pages 6,7, & 8, and overhead plans, starting p. 18.
MassDOT will not work from photos or someone's interpretation of what will be done. MassDOT will build from the Construction Plan, also titled 100% Submittal.
This is the 100% Submittal. It is the definitive plan for what will be built. Sometimes it is listed under different names on the Town website: Construction Plans.
Whatever you see here will be what is built. If any data is ambiguous, or missing, MassDOT will sort out how it will be worked out, not the Town. DPW staff have said in meetings, "The Town may not dictate means nor methods for the project." Bedford has no oversight, and no recourse.
At the 9/29/2022 Town Information meeting, Select Board Member Emily Mitchell explained that PROP = Proposed, that the exact location and measurement of PROP CONSTRU EASEMENTs will be established during negotiation with the winning bidder. Therefore, the Easements are not known until after the vote.
Town documents state that that the Town will not be involved in the contract negotiation, and MassDOT will have final say over all elements labeled PROP:
"As a TIP project, the design falls under MassDOT control and review. MassDOT (not the Town) will
be advertising the project and supervising construction."
Ultimately, "the Town can provide suggested staging operations, but is unable to dictate means and methods of construction to the contractor." If the Extension will only put a 12' wide path through the woods, then why are those massive TEMP CONSTR EASEMENT lines so very far away from the path? How far will the bulldozers go? Look for the construction easements in the overhead diagrams, beginning on page 19:
Note how may parts of the plan show "PROP" labels. Does the Town really have a handle on what will be built?
Are we handing MassDOT carte blanche through Bedford, on public lands and private?
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