Norwood committee reports MassTrails grant application and sets priorities for bridges, wayfinding and year-long goals

Committee members said a MassTrails grant application was submitted on deadline with assistance from town grant support and multiple letters of community support, including three scouting units and town boards. They noted the grant is reimbursement-based and that funding—if awarded—would likely be available in the next fiscal year.

Members discussed programmatic priorities should the grant be awarded: simplify the trail color-coding system and finalize wayfinding design (map orientation and 'you are here' sign formats), complete the 13 MassTrails-funded water crossings (two are finished, one is largely complete) and begin engineering work on two larger bridges that were not part of the current grant package so they can be costed for Community Preservation Act (CPA) or other funding rounds.

The committee emphasized the need to plan signage and wayfinding decisions before procurement so purchases match the chosen formats. Members discussed interim, low-cost prototyping (temporary laminated signs or arrows) to collect user feedback before spending on permanent posts and hardware.

Members also flagged operational matters tied to grant administration: because the MassTrails award is reimbursement-based, expenses paid before the grant year may not qualify for reimbursement; they therefore recommended sequencing purchases and design work to align with the grant fiscal calendar.

Next steps identified included continuing the wayfinding subcommittee's trail-by-trail review, documenting proposed color-scheme simplifications and advancing engineering scoping for the two larger bridges so they can be costed for CPA or other capital funding.