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Southborough trails committee says MassTrails paving complete; signage, map and funding questions remain
Summary
Committee members said paving under the MassTrails grant is finished and vendor work to install kiosk signage will start; members discussed using ARPA and a $47,000 CPA allocation for remaining signage and future boardwalk bids.
The Town of Southborough Trails Committee reported May 6 that paving funded through the MassTrails grant for the Burrows Loop segment is complete and that a vendor will install interpretive kiosk signage the following day.
Committee members said the paving work finished on schedule and praised the vendor; the group discussed next steps for interpretive signage, a trail map for the kiosk, and how to apply town funds — including $47,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) money and an ARPA allocation — toward remaining costs.
“The paving happened. It looks great,” said a Trails Committee member during the meeting. The committee added that Asphalt Engineering will return to the site to install posts and put signage on the kiosk.
Why it matters: finishing the paved section completes a visible part of the MassTrails-funded scope and allows the committee to move from construction to interpretation and wayfinding. Committee members told the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) they intend to report on funding use and next steps at CPC’s meeting the following day.
The committee discussed two signage efforts: a kiosk-level trail map for the newly paved section (with context showing the larger Burrows Loop) and a separate set of smaller interpretive signs along other trails funded by an earlier grant. The committee noted that the town’s website previously hosted maps but said they prefer to contract a professional mapmaker with GIS expertise for the kiosk map rather than using internally produced images.
Committee members said they had not yet secured a contact to advise on Native American history content for an interpretive panel and planned further outreach, including phone calls, to find an appropriate resource. The group reviewed a draft interpretive sign focused on eastern white pine prepared by a committee volunteer and agreed it was a usable starting point.
On funding, committee members said ARPA money already paid for the paving and therefore served as the local match for the MassTrails grant; that left the previously earmarked $47,000 in CPA funds available for other needs. “We put away money from ARPA bucket to pay for the paving, which will serve as a match for the MassTrails grant,” a committee member said. The committee plans to tell CPC that the CPA allocation could supplement costs for the boardwalk/bridge bid or cover signage if initial quotes exceed remaining grant money.
No formal vote was taken on reallocating CPA funds during the meeting; the committee said it would ask CPC clarifying questions about invoicing and whether CPC would provide additional funding if quotes exceeded the committee’s remaining grant balance.
Background: the committee ordered kiosk and interpretive signs from a vendor and said it prefers smaller, tree- or post-mounted signs rather than large ground-mounted installations. The committee said it would continue drafting sign copy and budget estimates and report back at future meetings.
The committee approved routine minutes at the start of the meeting and adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
