Board of Selectmen Roundup: Library, Westwood Station Updates

Updates to the Westwood Library Project and the Westwood Station Project were among the topics discussed at Monday night's Weswood Board of Selectmen meeting. 

In terms of the Westwood Library Project, the area behind the Colburn School was recently cleared for the initial phase of the project, which includes the move of the school itself. 

As for Westwood Station, officials are expecting an announcement to be made in a few weeks regarding new owners of the property. 

Westwood Library Project

The Town of Westwood has received the first installment of a grant awarded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners on July 19, the Board of Selectmen announced Monday.

"We received $1.1 million that has already been funded to the town, as expected,"  said Board of Selectmen Chair Nancy Hyde.

Meanwhile, the request for proposal (RFP) for the move of the Colburn School has gone out to bid, and a response to the RFP is due on September 30, according to Town Administrator Mike Jaillet. 

"The Library Building Committee is working to develop further details to the actual bid documents that will be made available," Hyde said. "Come the turn of the calendar year, the bid documents will be ready for contractors that are interested."

Westwood Station

The long-standing Westwood Station project is expected to change hands in the coming weeks, according to the Westwood Board of Selectmen and Westwood Project Coordinator Chris McKeown.

"Since our last meeting, we mentioned that there is a bidding process taking place for change in ownership for the Westwood Station project," Hyde said Monday night. 

The current owners of Westwood Station and the mortgage holders have reached an agreement to allow new owners to acquire the project and move forward with the development, according to a statement on the Westwood Town Website. 

A number of potential buyers have already expressed interest and have undertaken various levels of due diligence during the summer, and bids are currently being accepted. It's expected that a new owner will be announced within a few weeks, according to the statement. 

Because of the fact that a large, mixed-use development is planned, changes or amendments to the existing permits for the project are expected. In particular, the first phase of the project will most likely not entail 2.6 million square feet of development. 

"We do know what the zoning provides for," Hyde said. "We don't know what previsions might come before the town for review."

Added Jaillet, "The truth of it is, until there is an owner identified, and they tell what it is they intend to do, we really don't have much to share. As soon as we know, we will inform the neighborhood."

As more changes become known, and as applications are submitted, the Board of Selectmen and the Westwood Planning Board will provide as much information to the public as possible.

Sidewalks on Bridle Path

The Board also indicated its support for Jaillet to send a letter to the residents of Bridle Path regarding recommendations to restoring the sidewalk in the neighborhood. Support was also given to the Westwood Department of Public Works to follow out the letter's proposed recommendations. 

Residents of the neighborhood have complained about the condition of the sidewalk, which is made of asphalt and is beginning to break apart due to the growing roots of trees in the area. As such, Jaillet said he would like to submit a letter to residents addressing the issue.

"One solution would be to go in and replace the sidewalk and level it off," Jaillet said. "This is a normal problem you have when you have shade trees. The roots will get bigger and they'll push the sidewalk up."

Another solution would be to remove some of the trees, he added.

"We will also replace those trees, and in addition to that, they've (residents) asked for pruning," Jaillet said. "It's not something that we do as a town, but we have committed to getting a price for it and looking at whether or not this is something we should be involved in for them."

The trees themselves are within the town's right of way, he added.

"It is our responsibility for the maintenance of it. Every single shade tree has caused this problem with the adjacent sidewalk. You can actually see the roots carving themselves into the asphalt."

Board member Patrick Ahearn, expressing concern over lack of a sidewalk, asked Westwood Police Chief William Chase his advice. 

"We always prier to have sidewalks, but when that's not possible, we take a look at traffic (in the area)," Chase said. "It's one of those roads where pedestrian traffic could probably be accommodated without a sidewalk."

While no costs were discussed, Jaillet said the work itself would take only a couple of days to complete. 

"It sounds to me like this makes a lot of sense," said Board of Selectmen Clerk Phil Shapiro, "and the town could to it at little or no out-of-pocket cost, so I would entertain a motion for us to indicate our support of this letter to the residents and the program by the DPW."