Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trail Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Southborough Trails Committee readies volunteer work party, coordinates parking, tools and safety
Summary
The Town of Southborough Trails Committee confirmed a volunteer trail-construction work party for the coming Sunday, coordinated parking with Sanofi, confirmed Appalachian Mountain Club participation, and discussed tools, safety gear and approvals for brush disposal from MWRA.
The Town of Southborough Trails Committee confirmed plans for a volunteer trail-construction work party on the upcoming Sunday during its June 5 meeting and discussed logistics including parking, tools, safety and brush disposal.
Chair Kat McKee said the work party will focus on sections of the Peninsula Trail near Stoney Brook and the dam; she reported Sanofi agreed to allow volunteers to use its parking for the event. McKee said the Appalachian Mountain Club will list the event and that AMC members are expected to attend and lead portions of the work. "We used to park at this warehouse, 251. They've now since put up a fence and a gate, so you can't park in there anymore. But I got Sanofi said we could park in their spots here, so we'll have plenty of spots," McKee said.
The committee reviewed equipment and safety needs. Members planned to bring brush cutters, loppers, batteries for electric tools and a small electric saw. McKee advised volunteers to wear long pants and sturdy shoes because of ticks and the use of power tools. The group discussed purchasing additional batteries, a distance-measuring wheel or long tape measure for trail layout, and possibly extra cement for signposts; these purchases were included in the budget motion the committee approved.
McKee said she had notified the conservation commission and MWRA about removing small-diameter trees and asked MWRA whether the removed brush should be hauled away or left to decompose. She reported MWRA approved leaving cut brush spread in the forest "not in the water, and decompose is fine." The committee also discussed site-specific constraints — rock and root conditions that can affect bench anchor installation — and possible bench sites including near the Barnett Mansion spillway and shoreline vistas along the Peninsula Trail.
Attendance plans: several committee members confirmed they expect to participate, with Kat McKee, Tom MacCollier and Will Warren among those planning to be there and Satyendra Sharma indicating he would try to attend. The committee discussed staging times, tool assembly and safety briefings; members planned to begin work at 9 a.m. and asked volunteers to arrive early for setup and a safety orientation.
