Planning Board Discusses Agawom Road

The Planning Board met last week to discuss the Definitive Subdivision of Agawam Road.

The Board met with Lawyer Jim Mawn and Town Engineer Beth Rudolph to discuss issues surrounding occupancy permits and the language of a conveyance agreement concerning Agawam Road and open residential lots. Issues raised were centered around concerns as to who pays for certain upkeeps on the private road, such as utilities like street sweeping, general maintenance and sewer drainage. Confusion over the language in the agreement has lead to delays on building permits in the open lots on Agawam as well as taking much of the board's time regarding these issues.

The "Deceleration of Protective Covenants for a Three Lot Residential Subdivision Located on Agawam Road" as detailed by the "Agawam Road in Winchester, Massachusetts – Interim As-built Plan" was the subject of the confusion.

Mawn, Rudolph and the board ultimately came to the decision that the homeowners on the road would be responsible for street sweeping and decided that drainage was the town's issue. The three parties involved reached an agreement and voted in favor of a slightly amended version of the previously stated documents in order to comply with the homeowners and the town.

The motion passed and all three parties signed the conveyance agreement to finally move ahead with the project, which will now move on to the Town Council for final approval. The final agreement also consented to a street sign for the road that shall be paid for by the homeowners at the intersection of Agawam and Andrew Street.

The other big issue covered at the meeting was that of potential grants the board will award to prospective projects. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) have approached the board with several funding needs including: Forest Stewardship Planning Grants of up to $10,000 for management of private and town forests as well as Forest and Waterway Protection Grants, tree planting grants, pond and lake oversights, heritage tree protection and open space acquisitions.

Other agencies on the grant list were the Mass Emergency Management Agency who requested pre and post disaster grants, the Department of Housing and Community Development who needed funding for public housing modernization and "Green" grants from the Massachusetts Smart Growth Agency who were proposing an as-of-yet untitled project to instill their green ethos into future projects.

Added to this, the Green Communities Department of Energy Resources is asking for $8.1 million in funding for the fiscal year 2010 to "exchange for adopting energy efficient policies and measure such as stretch code, 'by-right' siting of renewable energy projects, expedited permitting for 'as-of-right' facilities, and establishing a municipal energy base use baseline."

Subdivisions and privates grants were also looked at including: maintenance to Alice Lane off South Boarder road, clean up on Arbor Lane, street lights on Briarwood Road, sidewalk construction on Cobblestone Lane, easements on Fernway Terrace, conveyance of a hammer-head turn around on Fitzgerald Avenue, road construction on High Street and a few other similar issues for various streets in town.