Royalston Open Space Committee
Minutes
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Meeting Date: November 12, 2009
Members Present: Aaron
Ellison, Patti Carrier, Jack Morse, Christine Beckert Long,
Paul Montero, Kim MacPhee
Chair:
Aaron Ellison
Clerk: Christine Beckert Long
The
meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. at town hall.
Internal matters:
Aaron announced that all committee members are required to complete an online training program on the state ethics law by April 2, 2010. He provided members with details on this requirement and a summary of the law.
Open Space and Recreation Plan Update:
Aaron announced that the updated Royalston Open Space and Recreation Plan has been conditionally approved by the state, with the committee required to provide additional listings of chapter lands. Aaron, Chris and Kim will collect this information. Aaron also announced that the state has offered to extend plans to be effective for seven years rather than the current five, if resubmitted by February 28, 2010. Aaron will work on the revision.
National Scenic Trail:
Paul announced that he will accept an appointment to the Stewardship Council for the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail (the former Metacomet-Monadnock Trail). The full council will meet annually, but subcommittees (e.g., easements and maintenance) will meet more often.
Paul has mapped the Royalston section of the trail and determined which parcels it crosses. The committee will add an item to the OS&PR Action Plan: to check the Registry of Deeds about which of these parcels indeed have easements.
Old roads:
Paul noted that the town should maintain a history of its roads, with references to minutes that detail town action. He reported that there are three classes of old roads:
Discontinued roads—roads with no public access, though they may include easements for abutting landowners.
Abandoned roads—roads no longer maintained by the town, posted with a sign such as “Pass at your own risk.”
Ancient roads—roads that may or may not be public ways; finding a layout of such roads in old minutes is the only way of verifying their status.
Paul began the research into Royalston’s roads and found a report compiled by a former town clerk listing roads discontinued between 1967 and 1990
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.