Uxbridge Open Space Committee adds new member, plans public map of top town parcels

The Town of Uxbridge Open Space Committee agreed to prioritize a public map of the town—s top open‑space parcels and to continue on‑the‑ground evaluations of remaining town properties.

The committee opened the meeting by welcoming new member Ryan Casey, who said, "Happy to be part of the team here and, you know, work to, you know, make the most of the, open spaces here in Uxbridge". Chair (name not specified) described a shared evaluation sheet the group uses to score town parcels and walked members through multiple holdings that the committee has visited and scored.

Why it matters: committee members said a browsable map of the highest‑scoring town parcels would increase public awareness of local wetlands, riverfronts and habitat areas, support volunteer stewardship, and help the town meet Open Space & Recreation Plan goals such as protecting surface and groundwater resources. "I think 1 way we could increase visibility would be kind of fun is just making a map of all the places where people can go," the chair said.

What the committee reviewed: members reviewed multiple parcels, including a riverfront site near 70 Depot Street the chair identified as the Burnet Well Site, noting well pump houses, recent pipe work, riverfront floodplain forest and wetland habitat; the chair said the site "protects our wells". Another parcel at 170 Rivulet Street (Cold Spring Brook) was noted as donated to the town and marked in the town database as "conservation restricted," although the chair said an official, state‑filed conservation restriction document may not be present. The committee also discussed 330 River Road, an unpaved parcel that has accumulated litter and adjoins the sewage treatment plant and industrial uses; that site was scored lower for accessibility but valued for river protection. The committee flagged Quaker Highway parcels near the high school for turtle habitat, a town well, and prior off‑road vehicle impacts.

Data, outreach and next steps: the group agreed to visit the roughly 10–12 remaining parcels the chair identified and to compile a top‑15 list by score, then narrow to 10 highlighted sites for the public map. Members proposed linking each highlighted site to citizen‑science platforms; the chair said, "I frequently go to sites and I use an app called iNaturalist. I keep track of the different species that are on a parcel" and suggested involving the high school in monitoring. Members also discussed promoting rain gardens, low‑impact development checklists and a tree bylaw as complementary measures to protect water and habitat.

Administrative actions: the committee moved to approve minutes for 10/09/2025; members agreed and discussed delegating signature authority so whoever delivers approved minutes to the town clerk may sign for the committee (motions introduced SEG 1526–1536 and SEG 1538–1568). The group set meeting dates for Nov. 6 and Nov. 20 and agreed to try meeting every other week into December to complete field visits. The committee closed with a motion to adjourn and a voice vote.

Quotes: "Happy to be part of the team here and, you know, work to, you know, make the most of the, open spaces here in Uxbridge," Ryan Casey said when he introduced himself. The chair described the well site in depot area: "And this is called the Burnet Well Site because the name of the mill that burned down was the Burnat Mill and this was a road to get there".

What comes next: the committee will divide remaining parcels for site visits, produce a public map of highlighted sites, and plan outreach including a potential farmers‑market presence to promote the map in spring. The committee asked members to cross‑visit top candidates so the final list is informed by multiple observers.

(Reporting based only on the committee transcript; motions and scheduling details are as recorded in the meeting.)