Study of Northern Scenic Greenway advances despite neighborhood opposition

The Select Board heard an update Monday about the Northern Scenic Greenway preliminary-design phase and public engagement plan, and then received more than an hour of public comment from neighbors who said the project’s proposed corridor (largely along Old Fall River Road) poses risks to property and safety.

Sandra Medeiros, president of the South Coast Bikeway Alliance, said the alliance received a $285,020.25 MassTrails grant with required matching funds and that the forthcoming engineering and public-engagement work aims to test feasibility—not to commit Dartmouth to construction. "Supporting further study does not mean approving a final alignment," Medeiros told the board, stressing the study will evaluate traffic, environmental and property impacts and include multiple rounds of public engagement. She gave a timeline that targets completion of preliminary engineering by June 2027.

Neighbors repeatedly pressed for clarity about right-of-way, property impacts and what easements might be needed. One resident, Kathy Normore of Old Fall River Road, said she and others had been told the plan was "going on Old Fall River Road" and voiced concern about endangered wildlife and stone walls; another asked when the project would be stopped if designers found it unsafe. Board members and project staff responded that the study phase will surface feasibility issues, that the Select Board would have final say on any construction actions, and that the public will have multiple opportunities to shape design alternatives. The project team said detailed site surveying, traffic/safety analysis and targeted outreach are next steps.