The Open Space Preservation Commission at its meeting Thursday night expressed ongoing frustration about not being included in discussions with town committees and boards regarding open space.

Chair Ed Harrow said he had a conversation with Town Manager Elaine Lazarus about “rumors” he had heard about the OSPC being the overseers of the Hughes Property on Hayden Rowe Street and Pratt Farm on Fruit Street because the properties were discussed by other committees.

“We don’t really have oversight over either of them,” he said.

He added that Lazarus agreed to place an article designating oversight of the Hughes Property to the OSPC on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting on Nov. 18.

Harrow also brought up the child-friendly natural amenities proposed for a segment of the Hughes Farm Trail by the Trails Committee. This concept is in the preliminary stages of discussion. Large rocks, wooden structures and logs for children to climb were potential features. What frustrated Harrow was that he heard about the concept at the Sept. 7 PolyArts festival rather than through the Trails Committee directly.

Stressed Harrow: “With the issue of silo management that goes on around town, I was taken aback.”

Harrow previously had spoken about the Planning Board making decisions regarding open space on development plans without including the OSPC. Later in the meeting, he lamented that the OSPC “tends to be a dumping ground” where issues that concern the commission’s mission come to their attention “after the fact.”

Another case he mentioned was when he recently encountered a Parks & Rec employee “hanging things on trees” in the Whitehall conservation area about a family walk without consulting the OSPC.

Trails Committee member Scott Knous was scheduled to give a presentation about the kid-friendly trail area concept, which he presented at the last Trails Committee meeting. Instead, Trails Committee chair Peter LaGoy appeared before the commission to explain that the idea was only in its formative stages and “not quite ready for prime time.”

LaGoy explained that Knous presented the idea to the Trails Committee, which expressed enthusiasm for the project. Knous then spoke to residents at PolyArts and Hopkinton Family Day to gain public input, which also was positive.

He then described the concept of having four or five stations on the outer edge of the Hughes Farm Trail for these kid-friendly features. The idea initially was brought up by Trails Committee member Krisanne Connell, who recently resigned from her role.

OSPC vice chair Steve Levandosky approved of the concept, but he worried about liability, particularly where it would be constructed by volunteers.

LaGoy replied that he discussed who would be considered liable with Department of Public Works Director Kerry Reed and Dave Daltorio, the town engineer and facilities director. This has not yet been specified.

Levandosky also asked if this idea would be transferred to the new iteration of a trails committee that would include members of the Upper Charles Trail Committee, which recently was dissolved.

“In all likelihood, that’s the plan,” replied LaGoy, noting it would not be implemented until July 2025 if approved.

Member Jane Moran, who is also on the Planning Board and was the UCTC chair, said that the Parks & Recreation Department should also be included in future discussions.

Later in the meeting, LaGoy suggested that the budget monies of the OSPC and the new trails committee be combined for trail maintenance and maintenance of land under the OSPC’s control as an act of partnership.

OSPC tepid on Rocky Woods Road parcel

The commission also discussed the possibility of accepting a lot on Rocky Woods Road as part of a proposal to exchange this lot for a lot at 0 Benson Road. The Benson Road property is owned by George Comeau and his wife, who own a home on an adjacent lot.

Several years ago, the Comeaus had agreed to donate the land to the Hopkinton Area Land Trust, but the deal fell through the cracks. HALT decided it no longer was interested in the property and offered to give it back to the Comeaus for a $1,000 donation. The Comeaus are seeking to build a home on that land to sell, and this has been discussed at the past two Planning Board meetings.

Donna Wolf, the Comeaus’ attorney, proposed that 25 Rocky Woods Road property be donated to the town in lieu of the lot that was supposed to have been donated to HALT for open space. Because the lot is in the middle of a subdivision, OSPC members expressed concerns over accepting this proposal.

The property is under the control of the homeowners association of the subdivision, which limits its accessibility to the public, members pointed out. The lot was left as open space as part of an open space and landscape preservation development (OSLPD).

“I don’t see any value to the town acquiring that,” said Levandosky.

Harrow concurred, saying it would not be worth a site walk proposed by Wolf of both properties in question. He and Levandosky said 25 Rocky Woods Road only would be of value if an abutting lot and the 45 acres of open space around the subdivision were included in the deal.

Developer Ron Nation said the original Planning Board decision on the Benson Road property years ago “is a flawed document” because there was no provision in it if HALT did not want to take the land.