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I’ve seen a number of posts about the Main St. reconstruction project, its alternatives, parking issues, etc.
WHEN, oh when is this work going to start?
The pavement on approach to the 30 & 85 intersection from the west has badly deteriorated and will soon begin to crumble away leaving potholes. Is the town waiting for the intersection to degrade to dirt to save the cost of tearing up the asphalt?
The ever increasing amount of truck traffic borne by this road only increases the wear & tear on its surface and underlying roadbed.
What is the hold-up on getting this intersection, and presumably its approaches, updated?
On the subject of town roads in general, why has the centerline painting stopped? 98% on the time, as I’m heading east on route 30 in the vicinity of 140 West Main St. (just east of the rise at Chestnut Hill Rd.), someone headed west is driving with their car located partially in the eastbound lane! Are we waiting for head-on collisions to occur before painting the centerline in this location? I really cannot understand why people cannot seem to keep their cars to the right of the centerline.
On Northborough Road, just west of 495, why is there a sign stating Vehicles Entering and no STOP sign in place for the road to the right that is used to access the condominium development? Common sense would dictate that cars approaching Northborough Rd. would stop and yield to the traffic on that road. If common sense were a widespread quality, we wouldn’t have all of the traffic control signs and lights already in place! While it is prudent to be prepared for poor driver behavior
approaching Northborough Rd. from the condos, the burden should be placed on those
seeking access to Northborough Rd. to come to a complete stop as the intersection is blind when approaching from the east. Again, are we waiting for serious collisions to occur before taking action?
All three of these traffic and road related items are issues of public safety.
Who maintains the roads?
Who installs STOP signs?
With the exception of 85, 30, 9 and the Mass Pike the roads in town are the responsibility of the town. I believe that the project to upgrade 30 and 85, which is a state project, is supposed to start in the next year or 2.
Town road maintenance is funded from 2 sources. Each year we get “chapter 90” money from the Commonwealth. This sum is about $300k per year. In addition each year we have a road maintenance article which has varied between 300 and 100k. Both of these funds are pooled for 2 or 3 years until the balance reaches about $1 million. At that point the Town contracts for the resurfacing of a set of roads.
For a number of years there has been concern expressed that like other capital maintenance accounts we have been underfunding our road maintenance accounts. The town maintains something like 26 miles of roads (anybody got a better number?) and the best guess is that we should be setting aside $250k to $350k per year for road maintenance. This year we set aside $100k.
Don’t forget…..only certain sections of Main Street, Southville Road (yup, not kidding) and a few other roads are state owned. I have yet to figure how some of the streets were sectioned off, especially Main Street. Another one of those “historical” things I guess.
I didn’t sign up for a CSA this year, so I’ll be looking for good farmers markets in the area. Anyone have a favorite?
Berberian Bros. — good prices, awesome produce of their own and sometimes other local.
The Wayside Inn in Sudbury has a farmers market on Saturday starting June 19th.
Don’t you just love this time of year?
Is Wayside’s organic?
Natick on Saturday morning is probably the best one in the area. It’s on the common at the intersection of 27 and 135.
The Framingham Farmers Market is, I believe on Thursday afternoons, starting at 12:30 pm on the town green in Framingham,( not in downtown). They were there last week and have more vendors as the season goes on.
Hanson Farms just over the line in Framingham may be organic, but is a local family owned farm on Nixon Road with their own farm stand. Some produce is brought in, but much is grown on site.
Davidian Brothers in Northborough at the Church St exit off of Rte 290 is good as well but a little further.
The newest local addition, is not a Farmers Market as such, and may not be for everyone, is Eastleigh Farms which is on Edmunds Road in Framingham, (Parmenter Road turns into Edmunds when it crosses the town line), now sells organic raw milk from their own cows.
They also sell ice cream and some other dairy products. They may even let you go visit the dairy cows on site!!
Who doesn’t like ice cream!!
When will the Cordaville Triangle Park be completed? It looks awful, like an abandoned construction site. Bails of hay still there, rusting metal barriers, weeds are out of control and the grass needs mowing. Is the town of Southborough supposed to be maintaining this property?
Southie – This comment from a few weeks ago might answer your question: https://mysouthborough.com/2010/05/17/open-discussion-thread-ask-questions-share-opinions-13/#comment-23902.
So happy to see the vacant lot on corner of Newton and Main finally mowed and the fence put back up. Actually, I’m not happy to see the chainlink fence, but at least it’s not 1/2 up and 1/2 fallen down now. It’s a good start.
Does anyone know of a good tailor in the area? I had one for years but he recently retired and now I’m at a loss.
There is a seamstress/tailor in Nobscott in Framingham, in the little shopping plaza, next to the Nobscott Cafe who is very good. Her prices are fair and she has done some higher end work for me that I have been very pleased with. I forget her name, but the address may be Edgell Road. I have generally just walked in.
Trippi’s on Rte 9 in Shrewsbury also does tailoring.
Hope that helps!
yes Stillman’s Co-op is closed, meaning closed out/full up.
I concur that Berberians is a nice, all around place to go. Route 9 West to Otis Street which is the corner of the McDonalds with the playstructure and the Walmart. Take a right and follow it all the way down, windy road. Berberians is on your left, comes up quick–some of the produce is grown there (yummy corn and delicious arugula) and other stuff is trucked in (produce and baked goods)
Speaking of farmer’s markets – anyone know what’s going on with the old Capasso’s Farmstand site?
The new stone wall inside rural cemetery (by the senior center) looks really nice. Thanks to whoever made this happen.
Has anyone noticed how nice the yellow office building in Cordeville looks? The landscapers have done a great job. I hope we see some tenants soon.
YES! It looks great! They even “beautified” their parking lot across the
street. I believe the building was sold at auction and they may have
one tenant already lined up. Let’s hope for more.
Looks MUCH better when I walk to the end of my street. Looking nice which I do hope means tenants . Such a waste just sitting there. Now, if we could get into the new fiscal year and finish the Triangle…………
On White Bagley, just south of 41 (recent house burn) the patch over the culvert has sunk, to the point where it’s noticeable when you drive over it. Not quite a tire-popping pothole, but sure seems like it should be repaired. Can Karen send someone out to look at it? It’s worse heading south, on the far right hand side.
All you have to do is call the DPW Monday – Friday. They are always more than happy to check things out.
I’ve found the DPW responsive too. I did send photos of a small but eroding sinkhole on my street.
Susan,
time for a new thread… MWDN reported that BoS allocated $50k for ‘defense’ vs N’boro’s threatened lawsuit over school construction reimbursement.
maybe overly simplistic, but seems the issue becomes one of “fight because of the principle involved” vs “maybe a quick settlement/compromise is not such a bad outcome”.
seems a perfect point for discussion here.
Greetings from the far and away of California!
Our daughter is working at St. Mark’s for the summer and reports that your town is glorious!
However, she has no car and we can not find public transportation within 3 miles of the place.
Are there any kind Christians out there who would give her a ride to church??
My number is [removed]
Her number [removed] but she is working non stop.
Thank you for your help,South Boroughians!
There is St. Mark’s Church and the Pilgrim Church within a stone’s throw walking distance of St. Mark’s school and St. Annes is a little longer walk, maybe a half mile from St. Mark’s.
thank you!
If one of the three “Former Townie” posted don’t work, I would suggest calling the church in question and asking them about transportation options. Don’t let your daughter get into a car with someone she doesn’t know or who doesn’t come recommended by the church. Even someone responding on this blog might not be who they say they are.
Excellent point….but there are three churches of different denominations within walking distance. I think the closest synagogue is in Westboro.
“They” just put a shiny black box at the intersection of Richards and Parkerville, across from the Finn School. Anybody know what it is? They’re not going to put a light in there or anything silly like that, are they?
I would like to see a light there. There are some pretty fast cars zipping down Parkerville right there in front of the elementary school.
I just don’t think a light will stop people zipping down Parkerville. Most of the time, it will be green and make no difference to them. I’ve been driving to the school with two consecutive preschoolers and for summer special-education for over three years now, and I have no idea whether the school-zone flasher even works. That would do more to solve the speeding problem, I think. As for the intersection itself, the stop sign has been sufficient to control it, in my experience. (Also, I remember the speed limit being posted as 35 MPH last time I saw a sign on Parkerville, but I don’t think I’ve seen one for many months; is it missing, or have I just stopped seeing it?)
North side of Parkerville gets speed humps to control speeders…. why not south side?
and there’s no way a 35mph speed limit is correct for a heavily populated school zone.
Well, that’s what it was posted a few years ago. Now it’s not posted at all, at least not between rte 9 and the Finn school. (I remember being quite surprised at the 35 MPH; I was expecting 30.) Most of that section is populated only on one side, and the road is straight and wider than many of the 25MPH residential streets in town.
As for the school zone, I have gone by there at so many different times of the day: morning bus time, afternoon bus time, lunch bus time, recess times, and I haven’t seen those lights blink (specifically the ones you pass driving to the school from rte 9). Has anyone else?
Kathryn,
You ought to see the speeding on Richards Road out to Rt 85 when Finn let’s out! The worst offenders are the school buses.
On a similar note, there’s a concrete footing w/ large bolts at the intersection of Ledge Hill and Rte. 85…almost looks like it could support a traffic light, but more realistically, it’s for a utility box, anyone know?
I saw one at Mt. Vickery (west side) and 85
I got the answer to the black box question. See this post: https://mysouthborough.com/2010/07/01/good-question-what-are-those-black-boxes/
Thanks for the great question everyone!
The Yellow Building……………..at the corner of Southville Road and River Street apparently will be having a tenant shortly. I noticed a banner on the wrought iron railing on site advertising a bridal shop opening in August. It’s a start!