Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sidewalks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board approves municipal sidewalk agreement for West End development amid maintenance debate
Summary
The Select Board approved a municipal sidewalk agreement for a West End development as part of the consent calendar. Members debated who will maintain new sidewalks after the state disclaims liability and discussed inconsistent sidewalk requirements across recent developments.
The Milford Select Board voted to approve a municipal sidewalk agreement for a West End development on Feb. 23, approving that consent-calendar item along with other routine business.
A board member raised concerns about long-term maintenance obligations, noting that the state’s language disclaims state maintenance responsibility and that the town will inherit upkeep obligations. "So if we accept this and sign this, that we accept that we're maintaining it as well," the selectman said, urging the board to consider how maintenance and snow removal will be managed.
The town’s public-works representative said the department will clear sidewalks when they can, but narrow or discontinuous sidewalks create operational and cost questions. Board members referenced earlier planning-board approvals from 2022 and noted that some developments were required to add sidewalks while others were not, producing what one member called an inconsistent connectivity outcome.
Several members said the vote before them was limited to accepting the municipal agreement (which acknowledges the state will not maintain the sidewalk) rather than setting townwide policy for where sidewalks are required. The board approved consent items that included the sidewalk agreement; members asked staff to return with clearer policy or a mechanism—such as a development fund—if the board wishes to address connectivity and fairness for future permits.
The vote to approve the consent items (items 1, 2 and 5) passed by voice vote.
