As longtime residents of Auciello Drive, we are writing in support of Article 38 at the 2026 Annual Town Meeting, which will accept Auciello Drive as a public road.
For many of us who have lived here for years, Auciello Drive has never felt separate from Hopkinton. We pay taxes in Hopkinton. Our children attend Hopkinton schools. We vote in Hopkinton. We call Hopkinton police, fire and EMS when needed. We are part of this community in every meaningful sense. For 30 years, the town recognized this reality by plowing Auciello Drive — until January 2024, when plowing services were suspended. Accepting Article 38 will restore them.
But the path to acceptance hasn’t been without headwinds.
Some on the Select Board have suggested that accepting Auciello Drive sets a precedent. That’s simply not true. Town Meeting has accepted roads in worse shape than ours — including in 2016–17 — and even accepted some before completion, as with Legacy Farms Road North in 2019.
Some in Town Hall expected residents to completely repave and update sewer pipes to modern standards before acceptance. But Massachusetts state law is clear: “Perfect” roads aren’t required for Town Meeting acceptance. And it’s simply unrealistic to expect private residents to pay $170,000 or more to repave a road that is safe and functioning fine today.
Some have suggested this is only about one street. It’s not. The town is asking us to accept Linden Street, which is in worse repair than Auciello Drive, and we should also be thinking about Woody Island, Twin Pine, Pine Island, Newbury and others — some of which also lost plowing. Accepting Auciello is about showing that this town can solve reasonable problems with common sense and respect for the people who live here.
Ultimately, this is about fairness. The residents of Auciello Drive should not be treated as second-class neighbors because of a technicality. Voting yes on Article 38 simply brings the legal status of the road in line with everyday reality. Many towns across Massachusetts have accepted legacy roads that clearly functioned as part of the public system. Hopkinton’s Planning Department, DPW and Select Board should do the same.
Please support Article 38. And thank you to everyone who has taken the time to understand this issue.
— Peri and Mike Cavedon, Hopkinton
Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event or thanking sponsors or volunteers. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.
Are there any benefits for others in the town if Auciello is changed from the private road status?
There are no connecting streets. There are no secondary outlets. It is a private cul-de-sac.
What benefit does the rest of the town have to approve the change?
People walk their dogs on it and jog on it. It’s the only street off of Hayward that has a sidewalk. Young people cut through the woods from Hillcrest and use it to get to DD and KO.
Boats leaving Sandy Beach use its incline to drain their boats
So, no benefit to anyone else?
You are presenting that this is a benefit to the town without any actual benefits. We, as a community, should subsidize the mismanagement of the builder years later because you want plow services?
Pay the town for the “free” plowing while you were a private road and we can talk. Otherwise, this is a very strong No
We paid the town for plowing. We pay our taxes.
Of course we would never stop people from walking their dogs on the street or make young people walk all the way to DD and KO from where Hillcrest and Downy intersect with Hayward as Hayward is a busy cut-thru with no sidewalk but as a private road we could.