The Conservation Commission on Tuesday continued the hearing on a Trails Committee proposal to create a trail connecting Loop Road at the schools complex to Chamberlain Street Extension after hearing details about the project.
Chuck Dauchy, director of the Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT), represented the Trails Committee. He presented the proposal for a shared-use stone dust path 1,400 feet in length. The route, he explained, mostly would follow an old cart path, which varies in width from 6-8 feet. It would be similar in nature to the Hughes Farm Trail.
A 22-foot timber bridge is proposed over a stream crossing at the site of an old twin culvert. It would go over the associated wetland there and would not cause further disturbance. The stream currently can be crossed by walking over stepping stones, he said. It is 11 feet wide from one bank edge to the other. The bridge would be a minimum of 8 feet wide and would be built by a separate contractor.
The concept for this trail originated when the Chamberlain-Whalen subdivision was planned, according to Dauchy. It was meant to provide access to the students living there with trail access to the middle school and high school.
Said Dauchy: “We hope that it’s finally coming to fruition.”
This is the area where a proposed bridge would replace an old culvert for a trail connecting Loop Road and the Chamberlain Street Extension.
The area of the proposed trail near Field 11 will be elevated slightly with a stone underdrain, he added. There will be 6 inches of gravel or reprocessed pavement under 2 inches of stone dust. No surface erosion should occur.
The commission previously approved the southern segment leading to the Chamberlain Street extension.
Joe Orzel, the town’s wetlands consultant, said that many of the flags delineating the wetland resource areas were “missing or unreadable” along the entire proposed trail length. Dauchy offered to “refresh” them. Dauchy said he would have preferred that the area be surveyed, but it was not done because of the expense. A GIS survey was done in November 2022.
“I would note that a more precise location of the flags would not change the design,” he said. “We are following the route that’s there.”
Orzel added that he would like more accurate details regarding the elevations on the plans, particularly at the cross section of the proposed bridge area.
Chair Melissa Recos suggested a future site walk.
Conservation administrator Judy Day said that the Department of Environmental Protection had comments on the project but did not issue a DEP number. The main concern was why this plan would be exempt from meeting stormwater standards.
“We felt we were exempt based on the history of the Hughes Trail,” Dauchy explained, noting that there is no new impervious surface. He offered to contact the DEP’s regional office to discuss the proposal.
Said Day: “It should be an easy fix.”
Dauchy noted that if the future budget allows, he would like to see this trail eventually extend to the Center Trail.
Co-vice chair Ted Barker-Hook expressed concern over potential drainage problems. He also asked if the stone dust was necessary.
“If this [trail] is abutting or even already in the wetlands,” he said, “it would really concern me if we are putting down new material that can be carried further into the wetlands.”
Dauchy said the current path is not in the wetlands. He also explained that stone dust is the preferred surface for walkers, and added that it makes the trail better for bike accessibility.
Trails Committee chair Peter LaGoy mentioned that stone dust tends to last on trails for 15-20 years.
The hearing was continued until the next meeting on Sept. 9 to allow Dauchy to retrieve the requested information.
Several hearings continued
The hearings for several projects that already were previously continued again were continued at the respective applicants’ requests. They included the hearing regarding the proposed expansion of the parking lot at the UniBank/Starbucks plaza at 85-89 West Main Street. It was continued until Sept. 23.
Two hearings regarding a notice of intent for a proposed single-family house at 12 North Mill Street and related soil testing were continued until Sept. 23 at the request of applicant Lou Petrozzi of Wall Street Development.
Petrozzi has had a contentious relationship with the commission in recent years. A three-unit subdivision he developed on Leonard Street has experienced stormwater management issues since July 2021. An intermittent stream was not shown on plans submitted in February 2024 for 12 North Mill Street. At the July 22 meeting, Petrozzi complained about what he called “excessive” fees for a peer review of the project.
REC Hopkinton received a continuation to Sept. 9 for its hearing on a notice of intent for a proposed one-story office and retail building off Lumber Street. Also continued until Sept. 23 was a hearing for a certificate of compliance for Legacy Farms North.
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