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Finance Committee recommends easements for Elm Street Safe Routes to School; grant will fund construction
Summary
The Gardner City Finance Committee voted Feb. 26 to recommend to the full council an order of taking for temporary and limited permanent easements needed for the Elm Street Safe Routes to School project. Construction funding comes primarily from a Commonwealth grant.
The Gardner City Finance Committee on Feb. 26 voted to recommend that the full council adopt an order of taking for temporary and limited permanent easements along Elm Street between Temple Street and Cherry Street to advance a Safe Routes to School project.
The mayor told the committee the easements are the last preconstruction step required by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for the project to proceed. "This is a project that has come before the Council on several occasions. This is the last step needed before we can really get the construction ready to go," the mayor said.
City staff said the easements are mostly temporary, with one or two permanent easements. Several permanent easements were donated by the school district and at least one property owner, identified in the meeting as community member Calvin Brooks, donated an easement for the project. The packet lists a negotiated dollar amount for each easement; staff acknowledged and said they will correct a duplicate/typo in the packet for 209 Lawrence Street before the full council.
Funding for the Elm Street work is primarily a Commonwealth grant of more than $1 million, staff said, and the city will use its real‑estate account for the limited appropriations tied to easement payments. City staff told the committee that every listed easement has been negotiated with property owners and accepted at the prices included in the packet.
Committee members asked whether any property owners objected; staff said none had filed formal objections and that staff had met individually with some residents. Committee members also asked whether the project design will include bike lanes; staff said they would confirm final design details with MassDOT and report back to the full council.
Councilor Mack moved and Councilor Hedlund seconded a motion to recommend adoption of the order of taking to the full council. The committee voted in favor and forwarded the item to the full council for final action and registration of easements with the Registry of Deeds.
