Uxbridge Select Board recommends Campanelli Drive extension to town meeting despite outstanding vegetation and guardrail items

The Town of Uxbridge Select Board on May 5 voted to recommend Campanelli Drive and the Campanelli Drive extension to town meeting for layout and acceptance after hearing that most roadwork has met Department of Public Works and planning standards but a Graves Engineering memo flagged outstanding items.

The board’s action follows a Graves Engineering site memo based on a May 2 visit that listed several bolded items it said remained open, including sparse vegetation in portions of the right-of-way, debris, and one damaged wooden guardrail. Developers and town staff told the board many of the flagged items had already been addressed or were the subject of recent follow-ups; the developer and planning staff said a $20,000 surety remains available for landscaping and related work.

Ray Wyman, director of field operations for Camp Valley Construction, said his team had previously submitted a response in December and “we resent that to Graves probably within an hour or 2 after we got that letter,” adding that some material had been accepted by town engineering in February. Town staff on the call said the manhole cover issue had been resolved and that conservation staff had walked the site and moved toward issuing a certificate of compliance.

Town staff and developers said the vegetation items were partly seasonal: plantings done last fall require another growing season to prove establishment. A town official explained the purpose of the $20,000 surety: if plantings fail in the next season, the town can use the bond money to hire contractors to complete landscaping. The board discussed whether the town would take on maintenance; members were told the town would not assume responsibility for privately owned stormwater features or landscaped areas until they are recorded and accepted.

Board members and staff noted some apparent gaps in communication between Graves Engineering (the town’s third‑party peer reviewer), planning, and the developer; town staff said several documents and responses had been provided to Graves but may not have been reflected in the memo. Conservation staff reported erosion controls had been removed following a certificate-of-compliance walkthrough.

After discussion, the board closed the continued public hearing on Campanelli Drive and then approved a motion recommending the roadway and extension to town meeting for layout and acceptance. The motion to recommend was moved by Mr. Mantelli and seconded by Mr. Plascow; the board recorded unanimous assent.

Next steps are administrative: the recommendation will be recorded and placed on the warrant for town meeting, and planning staff and the developer will continue to address the vegetation, debris and guardrail items with the available surety and follow-up inspections.