The Planning Board at its meeting Monday night reviewed a couple of relatively unusual cases regarding subdivision plans. The first item discussed involved an approval not required (ANR) for a subdivision on Box Mill Road, off Leonard Street. An ANR allows for the...
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Town leaders stress diversity, belonging, connectedness in ‘all-hands meeting’
Hopkinton’s town department heads convened on Wednesday night with elected leaders and residents to share their strategies or strengthening the functioning of local government, stressing the importance of collaborative approaches and shared goals. Town Manager Norman...
Select Board roundup: Marathon numbers distributed; MassDOT to pay for Main Street adjustment; new town employees welcomed
At Tuesday's meeting, the Select Board selected the local organizations and town departments that will receive a charity bib for the 2023 Boston Marathon. The town received 50 invitational entries from the Boston Athletic Association and previously set its policy for...
Town announces plan to widen narrow stretches of Main Street
The town announced Thursday that in response to concerns about a stretch of the recently reconfigured Main Street being too narrow to allow for emergency vehicles to pass through traffic, the road will be widened. The portion of Main Street affected runs from...
State rep candidates charge toward Election Day
Hopkinton voters will help choose a new state representative for the redrawn Middlesex 8th District on Nov. 8 in a contest between veteran political activist James Arena-DeRosa (D-Holliston) and communications industry expert Loring Barnes (R-Millis), a former Millis...
ZAC hears input from community on drafted Planning Board articles
The Zoning Advisory Committee at its virtual Monday night meeting took public comment on items people would like to see addressed in zoning policy, including three drafted articles discussed at last week's Planning Board meeting. The Planning Board’s drafted article...
Board of Health voices support for safe firearm storage initiative
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening unanimously voted to support the efforts of Be SMART, a public safety initiative to promote safe firearm storage and prevent accidental injuries and deaths. A team of Be SMART members spoke before the board about the...
Invasive knotweed plants roots in Hopkinton
Ed Harrow remembers when his mother discovered vines of bittersweet creeping up the exterior walls of their barn. “My father threw a hissy fit; he was constantly tearing it down, before it tore the barn down,” he said with a chuckle. “But I had no appreciation, until...
UCTC hears concerns about feasibility study for controversial segment
Tensions rose at Wednesday night’s Upper Charles Trail Committee meeting, as some residents asked that work on the current feasibility study for Segments 5 and 6 of the campus loop trail connector be stopped and the allocated funds be returned to the state. Resident...
Conservation Commission approves 8-foot drawdown of Lake Maspenock for weed management
The Conservation Commission at its 90-minute meeting Tuesday night unanimously approved a request by the Department of Public Works for an 8-foot winter drawdown of Lake Maspenock for two weeks as a strategy to control invasive weed growth. Last month, the commission...
Select Board roundup: Altaeros Energies discusses possible move to South Street; HPS solar agreement moves forward
Representatives from Altaeros Energies presented to the Select Board on Tuesday about their company and discussed the possibility of relocating to South Street if it was able to receive support via a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement, special permits and other...
Planning Board reviews zoning proposals in anticipation of ZAC public input session
The Planning Board at its hour-long meeting Monday night reviewed some proposed zoning articles that will be discussed at Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC) public input session next Monday. Principal Planner John Gelcich drafted the language for the potential changes,...
Select Board roundup: Town addresses concerns about narrowing of Main Street; Marathon charity number policy set
Anyone who has driven on the newly redesigned section of Main Street just east of the Wood Street intersection can see that the area for vehicular traffic is more narrow than it was before this summer’s redesign, with sidewalks on both sides limiting driver’s options....
Conservation Commission supports drawdown of Lake Maspenock to manage weeds
The Conservation Commission at a brief meeting Tuesday night returned to the issue of invasive weed management at Lake Maspenock, agreeing to a winter drawdown of the lake as a “toolbox item” previously proposed by the Department of Public Works. DPW Director John...
Upper Charles Trail Committee discusses options after determining Hayden Rowe right of way
With the town’s right-of-way survey along Hayden Rowe Street completed, members of the Upper Charles Trail Committee (UCTC) on Wednesday discussed how that could affect a proposed segment of the Upper Charles Trail. “Months and months ago we tried to identify what the...
Select Board roundup: Regional emergency communications center studied
During a short Select Board meeting on Tuesday night, Town Manager Norman Khumalo shared information about a feasibility study for a potential regional emergency communications center that would include Hopkinton and neighboring towns. Hopkinton, Grafton, Hudson,...
Planning Board approves East Main Street development
The Planning Board at its meeting Monday night unanimously approved an open space mixed use development (OSMUD) at 83 East Main Street after discussing concerns that the three proposed age-restricted housing units would clash with the historic single-family house that...
Frankland Road solar project underway as forest clearing begins
When Ann Karnofsky was walking her two collies on Frankland Road on Aug. 30, she was overcome by what she described as “a caravan of construction vehicles” heading to 71 Frankland Road, the site of a planned solar photovoltaic array and energy storage facility. “I was...
Select Board roundup: Main Street progresses, new employees introduced
At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Norman Khumalo indicated the Main Street Corridor Project continues to progress. “Substantial work has been completed,” Khumalo said. “We’re now focusing on doing the work that will help us wind down ahead of the...
Cars collide at West Main, School Street
The Hopkinton Fire Department shared a photo of a car accident that occurred Thursday afternoon at the intersection of West Main Street and School Street. The HFD Twitter page indicated it was a "serious" motor vehicle crash. Details on the drivers' conditions were...