The Southborough Trails Committee told the Community Preservation Committee that it has completed Phase 1 work — fencing around a riser shaft, parking (now five spaces, two ADA) and site work — and received a $50,000 MassTrails grant matched by $30,005.72 in local funds. The committee said it used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pave parking so the site would meet accessibility expectations.

Catherine (Kat) McKee, Southborough Trails Committee chair, said engineering for Phase 2 — a bridge and boardwalk to connect the Peninsula Trail to the Bay Circuit Trail and reroute users off a dangerous stretch of Route 30 — proved more complex and costly than early estimates. She reported the town issued engineering bids, then engaged Beals & Thomas; geotechnical packages and additional surveys added time and cost, and the structural engineer required revised bridge elevation to account for flood‑plain and hydraulic concerns.

“The engineering we started, we still we had 3 quotes come in. ... it was in the, you know, just under a 100,000 range,” McKee said, describing the quotes and the decision to request CPC funding to cover additional testing and final bid preparation. She said final bid documents should be ready by July or August and that construction could begin late this year or in 2026, noting winter installation is unlikely.

The trails committee asked the CPC to authorize payment of a $3,200 invoice that covers excess engineering charges. Committee members and CPC officials discussed whether the remaining balance of Phase 1 funds (after ARPA was applied to paving) could be applied to Phase 2 engineering; CPC counsel and staff will review the original warrant articles and return guidance. McKee said final signage invoices (Phase 1 signs) will arrive in the next month or two and that the trails committee will supply quotes and installation details to CPC staff.

The committee also reported volunteer work with Appalachian Mountain Club crews to build natural‑surface trail segments; hopes to complete signage (including Native American historical content) by year end; and that bid support from Beals & Thomas will continue through procurement.

No formal CPC vote on the $3,200 request was recorded at the meeting; CPC members asked staff to check warrant language and contingency availability and to advise whether paying the invoice from Phase 2 funds is acceptable.