Templeton told it must buy rights-of-way for 2.6-mile Realeston Road rebuild; MassDOT funding programmed for 2029

An unidentified presenter told the Board of Selectmen that the Town of Templeton must acquire the necessary rights-of-way and easements for a planned 2.6-mile reconstruction of Realeston Road, even though the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will provide funding.

"Because the municipality is the proponent of this project, it is up to the town to acquire the adequate right of way," the presenter said, describing the mix of temporary and permanent construction easements that will be needed from multiple abutters.

The presenter said the project design will include gabion retaining walls, widened lanes to meet a national highway standard, drainage ditches and updated guardrails. Although MassDOT is funding the work, the road is an older county layout owned by the town and therefore not a state highway.

Town staff must follow a multistep acquisition process that includes appraisals, title examinations, town-counsel review and written offers, the presenter said, and noted there is a specific federal requirement that governs right-of-way acquisitions. A MassDOT municipal compliance officer, consultants and others named in the presentation will assist the town in preparing the required documents.

The presenter said the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission has the project programmed for fiscal year 2029 and that the project is currently projected for a spring 2029 advertisement. "So we have some time, and we could expedite this and try to bump it up a tip year," the presenter said, but cautioned that permits can expire if the schedule is advanced too far.

The presentation urged a cautious scheduling approach: accelerating the timeline risks having permits lapse before advertisement, while maintaining the current programming leaves more time for required town approvals and property negotiations. No formal vote or motion on right-of-way acquisition was recorded during this presentation; the presenter said town approvals will be required in the coming years to authorize the board to acquire parcels.

Next steps described were formal appraisal and title work, review by town counsel and preparing written offers to owners, with assistance from MassDOT's municipal compliance officer and the consultants mentioned in the presentation. The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission's programming and MassDOT funding schedule will determine advertisement timing.