Trails committee readies Peninsula Trail bridge bid, plans CPA ask and MassTrails reapplication

The Town of Southborough Trails Committee on July 16 reviewed progress on the Peninsula Trail Phase 1 project, including a recent site visit by MassTrails administrators and next steps for the committee’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) application.

Chair (committee member) said MassTrails staff visited the trailhead and bridge location on short notice and that the site walkthrough “gave them a very good visual of what it looks like,” which the committee hopes will strengthen a future grant application. The chair said the administrators “seemed pleased” with signs, accessible parking built to date and other recent work.

The committee agreed to narrow the CPA application to a bridge-only scope and to explain why past construction estimates and the previous boardwalk component are not included in the current request. Chair said the current construction estimate was derived from the highest December 2025 bid, adjusted to 65% to reflect the reduced scope, and that Beals & Thomas will provide engineering oversight and support during bidding and construction.

On materials, the committee discussed three decking options submitted in contractor quotes—molded plastic lumber, wood decking and FRP—and members said they prefer wood decking because it is lower cost and, according to the committee’s engineering advisor experience cited in the meeting, a previous FRP installation created an unexpected electrical-current issue. “We would recommend the wood decking, which is also the lowest cost of the three,” said Tom McCollier.

Members discussed funding strategy at length. The chair recommended asking CPA for the full amount needed so the project can proceed without depending on MassTrails; if the MassTrails grant is awarded, CPA funds would serve as the required local match and the town would offset the CPA award accordingly. Committee members asked that the application make the offset and matching mechanics explicit so CPC reviewers understand how a MassTrails award would reduce CPA expenditures.

The committee also covered accessibility language for the application. Chair cautioned that the bridge component may need to be built to ADA standards if MassTrails (partly federal-funded) requires it, even if adjacent natural-surface trail sections remain inaccessible. The committee agreed to be precise in the application about what is and is not ADA-accessible in this phase.

Other items reviewed included letters of support being collected (recreation commission, conservation commission and MWRA were mentioned), a short closeout video the chair will prepare for CPC, and a CHOP-fund grant idea (up to $5,000) to enlarge stone-dust pads at interpretive signs, add backless benches and create a QR-code station linking several signs. The chair asked for volunteers to help produce a one-page web summary for the application and to staff a Heritage Day outreach table ahead of an October town vote on CPA articles.

A guest who joined late, Allison, asked whether planned parking at a commercial lot on Stony Brook Road remains part of the project; the chair replied that the lot’s owner had been cooperative for site visits and work parties but public parking would require a crosswalk and additional traffic work the committee cannot undertake. The chair showed Allison a map of the peninsula and explained reservoir buffer areas and permitted fishing locations.

The committee set plans to appear before CPC on July 21 and noted the CPA application deadline of July 31. No formal vote on the project funding occurred at this meeting; the committee approved only routine minutes and adjourned later in the evening.

What’s next: committee members will finalize the CPA application draft for internal review, prepare the closeout video and web summary, pursue letters of support, and present to CPC on July 21; the committee also plans volunteer outreach at Heritage Day ahead of the October CPA vote.