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Neighbors and school staff flag safety, access and maintenance concerns for Rose Bay housing site adjacent to Blake High School
Summary
The proposed Rose Bay housing (30 Pound St.) prompted school staff to raise safety, lighting, smoking, emergency access and playground relocation concerns because the development’s access road and buildings would sit directly adjacent to existing school paths and a daycare playground.
Town and school staff briefed the committee on the Rose Bay (30 Pound Street) housing proposal and highlighted several operational concerns for the school district if the project proceeds close to the Blake campus.
School officials said the proposed development would place buildings and an emergency access lane within a few feet of the existing school pedestrian path, requiring reconfiguration of access, lighting improvements, and clear agreements about maintenance responsibilities. Staff also noted an existing pattern in which residents smoking near adjacent housing are observed on sidewalks students use; the police department recommended attention to smoking-area designation to avoid pushing smokers onto school walking paths.
The nut graf: Because the parcel abuts school property and currently includes a daycare/high-school picnic area, staff said they will press for easements, landscaping buffers, locked emergency gates (with police/fire access), and clear maintenance responsibilities as part of the town’s zoning review and any developer approvals.
At the meeting staff flagged specific issues: pedestrian lighting along the proposed walkway, whether the emergency access gate will be locked and who will hold keys, whether the crushed-stone walking surface would be durable and safe for year-round student use, and the need to relocate a daycare/high-school outdoor play area now on the parcel. The district emphasized it will seek written commitments on these items during the town’s review and urged careful attention to the proximity of building facades to student outdoor spaces.
Ending: Officials said they will continue to monitor the planning and permitting process, work with town land-use staff and the developer on easements and access agreements, and keep the committee informed of any material changes.
