Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

Claflin Place lot refurbished using existing road material

The parking area owned by The Michael Lisnow Respite Center on Claflin Place recently was renovated during a drainage project on the street. PHOTO/NICK SCHOFIELD

A collaboration between private and public entities has led to an improved parking area on Claflin Place next to the Center Trail.

During recent renovations to drainage on Claflin Place, the Department of Public Works, the Trails Committee, The Michael Lisnow Respite Center and Onyx Corporation collaborated to transform an existing parking area that had seen better days.

“If you’d seen it before, it was rutted, there was pooling, there was puddling and it was just a mess,” said Trails Committee member Sean Kimball.

Kimball explained that the Trails Committee this year has been working on projects that would improve parking at several town trails. “These were parking areas that needed to be done for a long time,” he said. With a budget in hand, he discussed the idea to renovate parking near Center Trail with the Respite Center, which technically owns the lot. He noted that the center is “very generous” in allowing trail users to park there.

Despite getting the thumbs up from the Respite Center to renovate the lot, Department of Public Works director Kerry Reed contacted the Trails Committee and initially asked it to hold off. According to Kimball, some of the storm drains on Claflin Place — which the DPW had contracted Onyx to work on as part of the drainage project — overlapped onto the private property.

After further conversation, an agreement was reached to have Onyx regrade the parking area at the same time it was regrading the rest of Claflin Place. During that process, the contractors recommended using material it had milled from the street to renovate the lot rather than tossing it out.

Onyx regraded the parking area, recycling the milled pavement as the lot’s base. Kimball praised the final result for its looks and functionality.

“Because it’s got this milled material … there’s no more pooling,” he said. “Now it’s cleaned up, and it’s great.”

Added Kimball: “It worked out really well for all parties involved.”

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

Final prep work will happen early next week before contractors begin paving the east side of Main Street.

Two ongoing construction projects in town were reviewed by the Conservation Commission on Tuesday in regard to issues with stormwater management.

This week’s Police Log features reports of a weasel in a garage, a trash can fire and an elevator rescue.

Town meetings tonight include the Charter Review Committee (7).

Photo of the Day

A deer stops for a moment while crossing Frankland Road on a recent day.

PHOTO/AMIT JAGDALE