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Committee seeks updates on Bluff Walk access points and licenses; staff to compile status memo
Summary
Members asked for current status of Bluff Walk access points and the conservation (Chapter 91) licenses for stairs that cross town property; staff was asked to update the November 2024 memo and follow up with enforcement/permit authorities.
The Right of Way Committee pressed staff April 15 to update the list of Bluff Walk access points and the permit status of stairs that cross town property, including which crossings have expired or lack conservation licenses.
Bob Barbossi, the town’s land use specialist, told the committee he had reviewed a November 2024 memo prepared by Tracy that listed access points and their permit status and asked members to identify unresolved questions so staff could prepare a clearer update. "Tracy prepared and provided what I thought was a pretty thorough memo in November 2024 on each of the properties that would constitute Bluff Walk access points," Barbossi said.
Committee members noted long‑standing issues along the Bluff Walk: some stairs that cross town land either lack conservation permits under Chapter 91 or have expired licenses, and some abutters have added gates, fences or other encroachments that narrow the walk. Members discussed enforcement as a separate matter: the committee can identify and recommend, but enforcement and permit issuance are handled by other town offices. The committee discussed coordinated follow‑up with the conservation agent or other permit authorities to reconcile Jeff Carlson’s list of crossings and to determine permit renewals or enforcement steps.
Members also raised complaints about behavior on the walk, commercial operators staging vehicles near access points, and the potential for assigning police patrols to address persistent problems; the committee noted those were enforcement matters for the police and conservation staff.
Direction: staff (Barbossi and Tracy) will prepare an updated status memo that flags access points with expired or missing permits, notes enforcement needs, and identifies crossings that may require license negotiation with abutters and permit authorities. The committee requested the updated memo be specific enough to enable staff to brief the Select Board or relevant enforcement offices.
