Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Right Of Way Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee discusses encroachment policy updates, Stone Alley preservation and donated public‑way monuments
Summary
The committee heard updates on Stone Alley preservation planning, staff plans to present proposed encroachment‑policy amendments (including licensing historical encroachments) and a donor offer to supply and install granite public‑way monuments; committee members flagged enforcement and billing practices for nonresponsive property owners.
The committee discussed several right‑of‑way and real‑estate topics: preserving Stone Alley, updating the town's encroachment policy, and a donor offer for granite public‑way monuments.
Bob (Real Estate) outlined work on Stone Alley, including a Bracken Engineering preliminary plan, a current site inventory, and a plan to meet abutters and engineers to document existing "meets and bounds" and clarify DBW (Department of Public Works) maintenance responsibilities versus private abutter responsibilities. "The idea is not to do anything dramatic to Stone Alley, but to preserve it, keep it safe, keep it accessible, have a plan for maintenance," he said.
Staff said they will present proposed amendments to the encroachment policy at an upcoming meeting and asked the committee for input. Committee members supported licensing historical or unique encroachments under defined conditions, with insurance and possibly a one‑time fee to protect the town while recognizing historic features. Toward enforcement, DPW said policy currently gives owners a window to remedy encroachments and that the town can perform functional—"not fashion"—maintenance and bill the owner; committee members urged billing at-cost or higher to discourage repeated reliance on town crews.
Alan Reinhardt reported that Neil Patterson's group has offered to donate and install upright granite "public way" monuments and to replace two failing concrete markers near Madaket; the chair noted that accepting a donated monument typically requires Select Board action. Committee members also discussed using less‑obtrusive flush markers for some locations.
Chair Lee Sapperstein said the committee will bring encroachment policy recommendations and a public‑way monument proposal back to a future meeting for additional review and possible referral to the Select Board for gift acceptance or policy changes.
