Phil Paradis, a project representative with Anthony Card, told residents the town is close to completing construction documents and will file for permitting with the Conservation Commission as it seeks funding for a culvert and brook restoration project.

“The capacity of the the new cover will be 3 times what what the existing 1 is,” Paradis said while reviewing plans for a precast concrete structure that, he said, will be roughly 6–7 feet in section and set on gravel. He and town staff said the design aims to reduce backups and interior blockages that contributed to flooding during the August 2023 storm.

Town staff described the existing configuration as twin 36‑inch corrugated metal pipes that frequently restrict flow. One staff member warned the downstream manhole and corrugated pipe are in poor condition and “that pipe can collapse,” adding that a collapse during a storm could cause uncontrolled flooding.

Residents were told the project will be disruptive in the neighborhood for a period of work that staff estimated could span a construction season and potentially require follow‑up restoration the next spring. Staff said construction documents could be ready by April if funding is secured in the town’s May process and that funds would not be available until at least July. That timetable, they said, could push mobilization and major on‑site activity into the fall.

The work will require removal of trees, fences and some (or all) existing landscape within the limit of work. “The trees will be gone,” Paradis said when describing work limits and a planting plan; staff offered replacement plantings but cautioned that large specimen shrubs and trees may not be recoverable and homeowners who want to preserve particular plants should remove them at their own expense before construction.

Staff and the presenter described mitigation and monitoring measures: utilities will be protected or encased in concrete where necessary, temporary bypasses are expected for short water shutdowns, and vibration and pre‑/post‑condition surveys of foundations will be conducted to track potential impacts. Residents were told they will receive notice—town staff said a three‑day notification—before planned temporary service interruptions.

Neighbors raised practical concerns about access, staging and safety: driveways likely will be taken up and reconstructed; sections of the street will be closed and detours may push traffic onto nearby roads. One resident warned that detour traffic could increase speeds near homes with children; town staff said they will coordinate detour routing, resident access plans and on‑site inspection and enforcement.

The culvert work is being coordinated with four nearby wall‑restoration sections identified in the town’s 2023–24 stream study. Combining those repairs with the culvert project could reduce repeated disruption but also expand the area of impact depending on funding and phasing decisions.

Town staff said the project’s funding sources will determine whether the work is completed by a single contractor or phased across multiple contracts. If funding is approved, staff estimated a month to mobilize the contractor, then several weeks to months of in‑street work at each impacted location; individual lots may be staged so crews do the most disruptive work in shorter windows.

Residents were invited to sign a consent page that the presenter said is needed before the Conservation Commission will consider the application for work that crosses private property. The presenters also scheduled a follow‑up site walk for Monday, Dec. 1 at 12:00 to stake limits and show homeowners exactly what will be taken and restored.

Next steps: staff will post the presentation materials and schedule pre‑bid and pre‑construction meetings; they will notify homeowners within the conservation‑required radius before the commission hearing and will prepare individual lot drawings and surveys for owner review.