Route 32 Status

Update: August 26, 2009

The Route 32 Project is ready to advertise!  We have received all of our design, environmental, and right of way approvals.  MassHighway takes it from here.  They will advertise, award the contract, and oversee the project to completion.  Even better news is that the project is set to be awarded with an additional $1 million of Federal Stimulus money, enough to complete the entire project!

 

MassHighway has set a date of September 5, 2009 for advertising.  In the advertising phase, contractors view the design plans, visit the site, and calculate their cost to do the job.  MassHighway allows 90 days for accepting bids.  More information will follow about MassHighway's planned schedule for implementation.  We are still hoping that some work will begin before the snow!

 

Update: July 9, 2009

The 100% Engineering design was submitted to Mass Highway Department for their review on June 25.  Now MassHighway examines the plans and issues comments.  Three weeks of review can be expected. 

 

The Mass Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA) held a review of the project on June 29 in the Town Hall and on-site along Route 32.  Several issues came up at this review, most significantly, conservation restrictions on easement properties.  The Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) owns the conservation restrictions (development rights) on several pieces of property on which easements were being requested.  The CR's prevent a change in use on an affected property.  DCR is the agency that determines if the proposed use falls inside or outside the rules.  Since that discussion, all easements that are related to a CR, except one, have been removed from the project.  This will simplify DCR's review of the project and hopefully make it easier for them to make a determination.  We suffered a slight setback on the schedule because of this.  MEPA's comment period was extended two weeks to allow for the DCR's review.   However, MassHighway was fully in the loop and agreed to push out the advertising date with no foul on our part.  The ad date is now early August.

 

A Special Town Meeting voted $2,000 to help mitigate beavers on Rt. 32.  This clearly demonstrated to MassHighway that we are dedicated to maintaining the low water level at the marsh crossing just below Rt 68 (near Taylor cutoff).

 

Don't worry if you have not been contacted about property easements.  Everyone who has property affected by an easement request has been contacted.  In fact, almost all the easements are done!  If you have been asked and have not returned your form, please do so or call the office at 978-249-9641.

 

Update: June 1, 2009

The project continues to move forward as planned.  The 100% submission has moved out 1 week due to favorable design changes.  The design near Taylor Cutoff has been lowered because of success with the beavers.  We believe that the current water level can be maintained, eliminating a large increase in roadway height and extensive guardrails.  This will also save project funds - hopefully to be reapplied elsewhere.

 

There will be a Special Town Meeting, June 19, 2009 and 7:15pm in the Royalston Community School, along with the reconvened Annual Town Meeting.  On the warrant is an article dealing requesting funds for beaver devices and maintenance to maintain the water level near Taylor Cutoff.  We are hoping to demonstrate to MassHighway our commitment to the new lower height, lower impact road design with this action.  The STM Warrant can be found here.

 

Regretfully, we have been turned down by MassHighway to use Transportation Bond money for the southern portion dropped from the plan (see 4/27 update).  There is still hope to snag some Federal Stimulus money for this purpose.

 

We continue to gather property easements.  Please sign and return your request as soon as possible or call the Selectmen's Office 978-249-9641 with questions.

 

Update: April 27, 2009

We have been struggling with the difference between the funding available ($3.88M) and the actual cost of the project ($4.8M).  Remember, we were able to slip into 2009 funding by replacing another project that was not ready.  That project was slotted at $3.88M.  We have been continually submitting plans for the entire project.  MassHighway asked us, in no uncertain terms, to submit a project that will fit $3.88M or lose the funding.  

 

Faced with the threat of losing funding, we reduced the length of the paving. We have removed a mile of the “least worst” pavement from the southern end of the project.  The new endpoint is about 1 mile north of Doane Hill Rd.  The rest of the project, including critical drainage and guardrails, are still intact.  We are still on track for advertising in late August.

 

A very faint silver lining is the $4.5M earmark for Route 32 that was part of the Transportation Bond Bill signed last year.  Like most bonds, this one had more earmarks than money.  We have sent a plea to the Mass Highway Department Commissioner to release $900,000 of the earmark to complete this project (see the request).  We are hoping that the Commissioner will see the need and will look favorably on the fact that we are using only a fraction of the earmark.

 

An article has been placed on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant (to be held May 8, 2009 at 7:00pm in the Royalston Community School) that enables the Town to accept easements from property owners with respect to this project. This is a legal step required by Federal funding system to make sure the easements are legal.  We are hoping all easements will be donated.  There are no plans to take any property by eminent domain.  Take a look at the entire Right of Way Plan.

 

 

Route 32 Timeline

Updated: 7/9/2009

Projected Date	Milestone	Status
3/15/2009	75% Design comments received from MassHighway	Complete
4/13/2009	CE (environmental permission) Checklist signed by MassHighway	Complete
4/15/2009	Environmental Permit Issued by Royalston Conservation Commission	Complete
5/8/2009	Town Meeting Vote to allow Town to accept easements from property owners	Complete
5/14/2009	Meeting with property owners for Easement Requests	Complete
6/8/2009	Submit 100% Design	Complete
6/15/2009	Easement Donations/Takings Complete - extended due to special conservation restrictions on some properties.	Complete
6/19/2009	Special Town Meeting: Vote money for beaver maintenance	Approved
7/22/2009	Submit Community Compliance Package (need MassHighway 100% response).	Complete
8/14/09	Submit PS&E (MassHighway bid package)	Complete
8/24/2009	Record Easements/Land Records	Complete
9/5/2009	Advertise (depends on timing of M.H. response to PS&E submittal)	Pending
TBD	Scheduled start of construction.