Open Space Committee
Open Space Committee meeting minutes of March 12, 2024
Meeting began at 7:04 p.m. Present: Rick Gardner, Laura Reynolds, Annie Charrette, Deb Cary, Karen Rossow. Excused: Susan Downing
Minutes of February meeting unanimously approved.
Quick items: Earth Month Clean Up poster created and ready for distribution thanks to Corey Burnham-Howard. Article promoting participation submitted to the Redemption Rock News.
On June 1st the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area is hosting a trail-fest and Rick is hoping we can have a table at that event. Annie, Rick and resident Gerry Pellegrino are possibly available to participate in this.
Princeton Land Trust standard brochure is available and Deb has offered to print a bunch of copies for us to hand out at related events.
The North County Land Trust/Sterling Open Space Committee/Princeton Open Space Committee presentation on land preservation and Chapter 61 opportunities will be held on March 30th at 2:00 p.m. in the Old Town Hall of Sterling.
The Hikes Book is complete at 96 pages long as a PDF and ready for printing from our website. There is a note to that effect on our main page now. Our intention is to print three or four copies so we have them available at the library and at events related to outdoor recreation. Rick will email a link to it to the Princeton Hikes! list serve. We all liked the maps in the Harvard trail booklet that Susan had, so Rick has successfully attempted to re-create something similar for the 40 maps included in the book. He used a font that resembles handwriting and we all think it looks great. Laura asked him to check how the map looks in gray scale. Unanimously approved of Rick continuing to create these as time permits so they will replace the current maps for the book.
Status of Spring Nature Walks: Deb has received positive responses from Laura Reynolds, Brian Keevan (but no date for his yet), Tom Sullivan, and Cindy Dunn. Tom and Cindy’s will essentially be the same as the ones last spring, while Laura and Brian are providing something new. This should be in the RRN by the first of April for nature walks towards the end of April and in May, as the newspaper is distributed on the 15th of each month.
Signage: Rick is putting an order in for The Boone Trail junction (mini maps and directional signs). The Walcott property will have additional signs asking for people to leash their dogs.
Parcels status: Deb and Rick have a meeting tomorrow, March 13th, with representatives of Worcester Water Supply to discuss land parcels in town that may interest them, such as McCall and Jacobson properties. It was suggested that there may be state funding to assist them with purchases that help with climate change mitigation. The idea of developing the frontage of properties while preserving the land further back from the road has been floated as well. Tom Lyons is a landowner who is receptive to our interest in preserving his property. We appreciate that Deb and Rick have been facilitating conversations between landowners and potential preservation partners.
Princeton Land Trust has been provided an overview of the OSC parcel analysis and they are interested in possibly assembling a sub-committee to create one of their own, which Rick would participate in.
Trail Planning: We will postpone a new trail vision plan so we may devote more time considering the negative impacts on the creatures and habitats a trail transects, deciding what our trail strategy and objectives will be going forward.
Thomas Prince School trail upgrades: The eagle scout has made an official proposal to the conservation commission regarding his project to replace some wooden structures. He will attend a meeting to learn more about this process. The town has applied for a planning grant for the all-access portion of the school trails. This will require a $2,500 match from the residents at a town meeting. We anticipate some pushback because logically the planning stage will be followed by a request for more funding for the actual work. Karen points out that the new Master Plan has accessibility on its radar. Laura recommends that we try to anticipate what the opponents’ concerns might be so we have ready responses at town meeting. Karen will take a pass at this and bring it to our April meeting. Annie and Deb are working on this trail project.
Land permissions are still in limbo for the Begley property as we haven’t had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Begley; Milliken land has quite a few wetland issues to contend with; John Mirick is amenable to using an existing trail from Mirick Rd. to Mountain Rd. with a walk through at 1:30 this Sunday.
Rick has been thinking about possible trail improvements if needed. Laura suggests that as hikes are taken on the trails that any needed attention be noted then and addressed later, so we manage them one at a time.
Annie will write an article for Redemption Rock News with talking points on the Earth Day kids’ walk through Goodnow Park.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9th, 2024.
Meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Rossow
Tasks: Deb will print the PLT brochures; Rick will look into getting a few copies printed of the hikes book and email the link to it to the Princeton Hikes! listserve; Rick will work on the new maps (that appear more handmade) gradually; Deb will get details of the spring walks and prepare a notice for RRN; Rick’s putting in an order for trail signs; Deb and Rick continuing progress on parcels; Annie and Deb continuing work on TPS trails; Karen will work on anticipating negative arguments on planning grant for ADA compliant trails at TPS; Annie will write an article about Goodnow Park kids’ walk for RRN.