The Northborough Board of Selectmen met on Dec. 21. A good portion of the meeting was addressing ongoing resident traffic concerns, especially in the Bartlett Street area. Here are the highlights:
- The Board voted unanimously after much discussion to prohibit parking on both sides of Bartlett Street from Route 20 easterly to the town line. This should take care of the issue of trucks parking on the side of the street. The secondary issue of trucks possibly parking on the side streets, such as Hemlock or Stirrup Brook Road, will be monitored.
- The Police Chief and Town Administrator John Coderre asked residents to notify them if they see trucks parking illegally or driving on truck restricted streets. The photo of the truck along with the license plate would help make follow up and enforcement easier.
- Additional truck exclusions were requested for Maple Street and Ridge Road neighborhoods, but the traffic counts won’t be done until early spring. The timing of that is better as more accurate data can be compiled after the Amazon facilities are fully operational.
- Department of Public Works Director Scott Charpentier has requested the MassDOT to reconsider its decision not to make improvements to the crosswalk at Route 20 and Maple Street. The town has asked its local legislative delegates for support in this request. The area has a lot of pedestrian traffic with Peaslee School, athletic fields, a restaurant, and businesses very close by. It’s a state decision though as Route 20 is a state road.
- The town administration has committed to communicating with the industrial businesses on Bartlett Street. All are willing to be good neighbors and take steps to redirect truck traffic away from Route 20, use signage at facilities to direct trucks in the preferred routes, or hold training sessions for drivers on those preferred routes. Residents should see the results of these conversations.
- Select Board member Julianne Hirsh asked for a public forum with Amazon in particular. Sharing information directly to the residents might answer many questions they have, such as the number of employees working at the facility and what hours are the work shifts, as well as give an overview of what residents can expect with the full operation. Coderre said he could make the request. Amazon has done something familiar in other towns.
- Residents are eager for the development of a Traffic and Safety Committee as communicated through several calls during public comment at recent meetings.
The full meeting can be viewed on YouTube.