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Neighbors urge Select Board to halt Meadow Road rail-trail segment over privacy and safety concerns
Summary
Several Meadow Road residents told the Select Board the planned rail-trail would run within yards of homes, threatening privacy, usable property and safety; residents also criticized notice and easement communications and raised the prospect of eminent domain.
Annette Parent, a Meadow Road–area resident, told the Westborough Select Board that the proposed Meadow Road segment of the town’s rail-trail would place users “just 15 to 20 feet from our dining room window,” arguing that proximity would intrude on family life and devalue property. Parent asked the town to produce copies of the notice that she said should have been sent under the 2009 order of taking and urged the board to consider alternatives to the current alignment.
Parent described her neighborhood as private and safe and said the trail would carry year-round foot and bicycle traffic close to homes: “It's close enough to make eye contact while we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” She also cited several incidents on other regional trails as examples of safety and nuisance problems raised elsewhere.
Kevin Barry, another resident who attended a June 10 site visit, recorded several related complaints into the public record: short notice for the on-site meeting that many neighbors could not attend; what he described as misleading statements by consultants and planning staff about easement negotiations; and information that, he said, indicates some property owners will not grant easements—facts that could force the town to pursue eminent domain for the corridor. “Failure to properly notify impacted residents isn't just unprofessional. It's irresponsible,” Barry said.
Board members asked residents to submit written comments for the official record and discussed next steps, including follow-up with planning staff, consultants, and legal counsel. Select Board members said they heard concerns about notification and easement status and acknowledged residents’ requests for clearer outreach and documentation. No formal decision was made; public comments will be added to the record and staff indicated they will continue outreach and fact-gathering.
The Select Board did not vote on any changes to the Meadow Road alignment at the meeting. Requests from residents for copies of any statutory notices and for a fuller explanation of the easement and taking process were accepted by staff for follow-up.
