The Planning Board on Monday night approved the site plans for the eagerly anticipated pickleball/tennis facility at 17 Pratt Way, off Fruit Street, the only hearing on the agenda. Vice chair Mary Larson-Marlowe chaired the 30-minute meeting in the absence of Chair...
Mary Ellen Gambon
Future of Upper Charles Trail Committee to be considered by Select Board on Tuesday
The future of the Upper Charles Trail Committee is to be discussed at the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, May 9, after Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved of the committee’s abolishment by voting in favor of a non-binding article. Article 47, which town counsel...
Town Meeting Day 2 recap: Residents vote down South Street rezoning, gun club restriction
A citizens’ petition generated loud and unanimous opposition during the second night of Town Meeting on Tuesday, as residents of the Lake Maspenock area spoke out against the rezoning of a residential parcel in their neighborhood. Article 29, proposed by engineer...
Springwood residents seek answers after tree-cutting begins without warning to town
Public officials joined Springwood neighborhood residents in expressing surprise and frustration last week regarding a state-approved permit allowing a developer to cut down 60 acres of trees with no prior notification to the town, with concerns that a solar array was...
Town Meeting Day 1 recap: Budget, school projects pass easily; session to continue Tuesday
Hopkinton’s Annual Town Meeting kicked off Monday night at the middle school auditorium with a robust turnout of about 500 voters — well above the 128 needed for a quorum — unanimously approving the fiscal year 2024 operating budget, among other budgetary items, after...
Emotions high as School Committee candidates debate again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVevau5P1cE&t=583s The three candidates for the two available seats on the School Committee appeared in a debate Friday to illustrate their different perspectives as voters prepare to vote in the Annual Town Election on Monday, May...
Town counsel: Town Meeting cannot require UCTC to be disbanded via article on this year’s warrant
At Thursday's Upper Charles Trails Committee meeting, Assistant Town Manager Elaine Lazarus presented a report from town counsel regarding questions about the legality of two citizens’ petitions authored by resident Peter LaGoy that will be voted on at Annual Town...
School Committee candidates debate issues at Women’s Club forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k91nI9SB5Bk School Committee candidates Ashley Fogg and Susan Stephenson took center stage as two of the three candidates vying for two open three-year terms during the annual Meet the Candidates Night held Wednesday night at the HCAM...
Conservation Commission expresses frustration with Springwood tree clearing
The Conservation Commission at its meeting Tuesday night addressed concerns about the tree clearing off of Kimball Road in the Springwood neighborhood, noting that the town is powerless to stop it because of the issuance of a state permit by the Department of...
Planning Board recommends no action on South Street zoning petition after withdrawal
The Planning Board at its virtual meeting Monday night swiftly handled five hearings in less than two hours, with more than 50 people attending via Zoom. South Street zoning petition withdrawn Chair Gary Trendel announced that the citizens’ petition regarding a...
eHop’s Know Your Vote forum explains issues ahead of Town Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9iEtrrbrKo&t=26s [Editor's note: The Annual Town Meeting warrant, listing all 48 articles, can be accessed here.] On Tuesday night, eHop held its 11th annual Know Your Vote forum at the HCAM studio to help prepare residents for...
Late wife’s battle with cancer pushes Parduhn to go Boston Marathon distance
Hopkinton resident Michael Parduhn connected with Meg, his late wife, in Chicago years ago through running. Now he is using their shared passion as a way to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, the disease that took her life more than four years ago, by running as...
Conservation Commission allows construction of The Trails to go forward
The Conservation Commission at its in-person meeting Tuesday night unanimously approved the notice of intent that would allow construction of the next development phase of The Trails to proceed, but it decided to table a discussion of how to resolve previously...
Family provides inspiration for Trivedi’s Boston Marathon run
Darsh Trivedi was motivated to run in the Boston Marathon because of the unconventional inspiration methods used by his family to persuade him. He previously vowed never to run again after developing shin splints after running in a half-marathon in 2016. “When my son...
UCTC members express thoughts, disagreements regarding potential reconfiguration
The mood at the nearly two-hour Upper Charles Trail Committee meeting Monday night was agitated as members debated the response the group will put forward at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting on May 1 to two citizens’ petitions that call for the group’s potential...
Pakistani journalist set to run Boston for SACH
Junaid Muhammad, an award-winning international journalist in Pakistan, is equally passionate about running and supporting South Asian populations both here and abroad. He is weaving both of these activities together by running in the Boston Marathon on April 17 to...
Planning Board approves The Trails, Grasshopper solar modifications
The Planning Board at its meeting Monday night voted 8-0 to approve two longstanding projects — The Trails and the Grasshopper solar farm — after the respective applicants agreed to several conditions. The Trails, an open-space mixed-use development (OSMUD) off Legacy...
Conservation Committee allows The Trails development to move forward
The Conservation Commission at its meeting Tuesday night unanimously approved amendments to plans for The Trails that would modify its basins and allow the development to move forward. The Trails, an open-space mixed use development (OSMUD) off Legacy Farms North...
Parks & Rec roundup: Safety concerns raised about Pyne Field redesign
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its hybrid meeting Thursday evening discussed concerns about traffic safety once Pyne Field is reconfigured, pending a $1 million funding request that will be voted upon at Annual Town Meeting on May 1. Amy and Josh Brassard,...
Pedestrian connectivity meeting stresses safety concerns, accessibility
Pedestrian safety was a recurring theme Tuesday night in a virtual meeting on how to integrate the needs of walkers into Hopkinton’s infrastructure. Planning Board chair Gary Trendel, who facilitated the meeting, said it emerged after the board heard repeated...