The Trails Committee discussed progress made on several projects at its meeting Wednesday night, including trail development and public outreach efforts.

Chair Peter LaGoy said he has been working  with Chuck Dauchy, the director of the Hopkinton Area Land Trust, on drafting a notice of intent for a proposed trail from Center Trail through Loop Road to Chamberlain Street Extension. They have been communicating with consultants from Beals and Thomas and hope to finalize the documents in the next couple of weeks.

The proposed route includes one stream crossing, LaGoy noted. The trail’s surface will be stone dust. The committee has $107,000 left from Community Preservation Committee funds allocated for the project in the past.

LaGoy will need to present the proposal to the Conservation Commission for approval before bid documents can be submitted.

Another project LaGoy is involved in is the creation of a small parking area on Ash Street, just south of the driveway into Abbott Farm. He said it would need to be reviewed by the Planning Board because it is on a scenic road.

This meeting will involve Kerry Reed, the Department of Public Works director, because she also serves as the tree warden. She would need to approve the plan in a tree hearing during a Planning Board meeting. Member Sean Kimball agreed to assist LaGoy with preparation for the meeting, which includes taking pictures of the site.

The committee also is working on the middle school cross country course, a former Trail Coordination and Management Committee project. LaGoy noted that it actually is referred to as the Fern Glen Trail by students. It begins at the high school turf field and heads north into the woods to connect to Center Trail. He hopes to resolve some drainage issues with the help of some volunteers from Dell before the end of April.

“Part of our job is to coordinate what everyone’s doing and to be the town face on it,” LaGoy explained after Dell, HALT and the Trails Club were mentioned as project participants.

He added that the town has criteria for officially naming trails, and the names have to be approved by the Select Board. He hoped the committee would be able to establish a schedule where a trail is named every six months, noting many trails are unnamed.

Dauchy noted that the Open Space Preservation Commission should be involved in the process because it oversees the signage at some trailheads. Member Jane Moran noted that OSPC member Steve Levandosky would be a good contact.

Moran added that another site that has unnamed trails is the Frankland Road open space parcel that Agilitas is donating to the town. There were questions about walkers being allowed to travel on a utility easement, but Moran noted that “neighbors use them all the time” without enforcement issues.

Public outreach methods discussed

Member Linda Chuss described the signs she previously designed for the TCMC. The committee decided to use a standard, double-sided sign, no matter what entity had jurisdiction over the trails, to promote awareness and branding.

“Roadside trail signs are probably one of the best ways to increase usage of trails,” she explained. “We also thought it would be a good bang for the buck.”

A pilot program with the signs Chuss designed was slated to be used at four trails before the TCMC was disbanded.

Because this is a new committee, Chuss suggested that the signage be discussed. Members seemed receptive to the sign design and usage. The majority of members preferred to have names on the trail signs.

Members voted to approve the pilot program. Eventually, feedback will be solicited from the public about their experiences.

Other outreach methods discussed were listening sessions and tables at town events. Moran proposed getting on agendas of other committees so that they would be aware of the new group’s priorities. Chuss mentioned online surveys.

Budget update received

LaGoy noted that Town Manager Elaine Lazarus told him that $30,000 has been allocated to the Trails Committee in the fiscal year 2026 budget. This was good news after belt tightening has been encouraged during budget discussions with town departments. The money could be used for land appraisals, materials, trail mowing, Scout projects or other initiatives.

Upper Charles Trail site walk planned

Members agreed to participate in a site walk of the portion of the proposed Upper Charles Trail route between Legacy Farms North and Hopkinton State Park. It is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, beginning at 1 p.m. Participants will meet at the Legacy Farms North parking lot near Wilson Street. More details will be provided at the next meeting on March 26.

Trendel to discuss connectivity study

LaGoy announced that former Planning Board chair Gary Trendel will be a guest speaker at the next meeting. He will discuss the pedestrian connectivity study he worked on during his Planning Board tenure.