The town's Rail Trail will be cleared this week according to Jason Silva, the new Town Administrator.
Recent Facebook posts have criticized the lack of upkeep especially in light of the fact that maintenance of the Trails was transferred to the Selectmen at the recent Town meeting.
The PATCH contacted the Selectmen and received the following letter:
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Thanks for your email.
In short, yes, the town plans to cut back the vegetation this week. Unfortunately, the equipment used in the past by the Water and Sewer Department is no longer in operation which has contributed to the maintenance problem. The town, through the Board of Health, has purchased a new machine and will be utilizing it moving forward once received.
The next step following the Town Meeting vote is for the town to enter into an agreement with the Water and Sewer Commission and Municipal Light Commission to formalize the recreational use of the path, as well as, allow the town to perform routine maintenance and make physical improvements to the path. The agreement is currently being reviewed and we are hopeful to have it fully executed very soon. However, it should be understood that the Water and Sewer Commission still retain ownership of the path and the Municipal Light Commission will still have an easement over the property to gain access when needed.
We are also excited about being a recipient of a 2018 Massachusetts Recreational Trails Program grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The grant will help fund improvements that enable safe access, all season, to travel over portions of the trails that are now difficult to transverse at certain times of the year by providing a consistent and improved surface. We look forward to this project moving forward.
Lastly, we are currently working on completing a Complete Streets prioritization plan and policy as well and we look forward to moving this process along. In the near future, we expect to conduct community outreach and several public forums on the program. In summary Complete Streets seeks to design and improve streets in order to make them safer and more accessible options for all modes of travel. A large focus of the Complete Streets process will also be on trail improvements. We hope you’ll find the time to participate.
Again, thanks for your email. I apologize for the condition of the trail but please know that it will be cut back this week. If I can be of further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Jason Silva
Town Administrator
Town of Marblehead
(781) 631-0000
(781) 631-8571 (fax)
silvaj@marblehead.org
www.marblehead.org