While one particular set of sidewalks received the majority of attention during Tuesday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, the larger issues of sidewalks throughout town also received attention.
Pedestrian Safety Committee Chairman Chris Barrett provided a presentation to the board on the committee’s accomplishments over the past five years.
After residents noted more sidewalks as a priority in 2009, the Pedestrian Safety Committee was founded a year later, leading to 2.2 extra miles of sidewalks throughout town.
At this year’s Strategic Planning Retreat, Barrett noted that 145 comments were received about getting more sidewalks around town, especially around school areas.
On that note, he recommended the board pursue sidewalks on Concord Road near the Robinson School and sidewalks on Plain Road from Nutting Road down to the Nabnasset School.
The Nabnasset School sidewalks are projected at $510,725 and the Robinson School sidewalks are projected at $242,589. Barrett cited student safety as an imperative as well as required bus fees for students living within a mile radius of their schools.
Additionally, Barrett recommended the town pursue an annual snow removal budget of $36,000 a year and an annual sidewalk maintenance and improvement budget of $25,000 a year.
Although in Barrett’s presentation less than 50 percent of respondents indicated they would support town-wide snow removal services from the town on sidewalks, approximately 90 percent of respondents said they expect sidewalks near schools and town facilities to be cleared after storms.
In recent years the Board had been interested in building new sidewalks near the schools, but wished to wait until federal grant money could be obtained. That grant money did not materialize due in large part to the fact that the grant money went to streets with a large number of pedestrians, which Barrett noted wasn’t likely on streets without existing sidewalks where people may not feel safe.
Several Selectmen were cautiously supportive of Barrett’s proposals, but were hesitant to give full support due to fiscal concerns.
“As a general policy, I support sidewalks,” said Selectman Andrea Peraner-Sweet. “That being said, we need to look at this in the context of the town in general over the next several years and where we will be spending money.”
Barrett also noted that other nearby communities such as Acton and Concord have constructed a significant amount of sidewalks recently. However, Selectman Kelly Ross indicated that difference was due to a greater student population in Westford compared to nearby towns, requiring Westford to have a larger school department budget.
The Selectmen voted 4-0-0 to support the recommendations onto the Capital Planning Committee for their consideration on where to include the proposals in the town’s capital planning budget, but authorized no funding commitment until further notice.
