Stairway project for Carroll Getchell Trail withdrawn pending easements and alternatives

Framingham City staff told the Community Preservation Committee on April 14 that the previously proposed stairway at the Carroll Getchell Trail has been withdrawn from active consideration while the city pursues missing easements and evaluates an alternative access route.

Sarkisian (identified in the meeting as “Sarki”), presenting on the project, said engineers discovered that at least three easements are required: two between adjacent property owners and an additional easement to cross church property to reach the trail. Because the necessary property access was not secured in earlier drafts, staff said they must step back and reevaluate options before moving forward.

Sarkisian said the city owns adjacent cemetery property that may provide a safer, less invasive access route that would reduce grading and complex stair construction. “That might be a better location to have access for that neighborhood. It’s a lot safer,” he said, and staff intend to compare the cemetery option with re-securing easements and with other alternatives.

Committee members asked about the possible impact to graves near the cemetery fence. A committee member who identified engineers’ work said the project surveyors used ground‑sensing equipment and had not found graves within the distance they checked, but members agreed that any alternative that could affect graves would require careful study.

Sarkisian reported that a contractor had begun exploratory work at Carroll Getchell this week, but he said the formal stairway project is being withdrawn and will be revisited after staff develop estimates and alternative plans. Committee members urged staff not to rush and to return with a fully developed plan when ready.