Above: A reader shared this beautiful view of a sunrise on her morning run. You can get a better look by clicking here for a larger, uncropped version. (photo by Lauren McAuliffe)
It’s time for another open thread.
What’s on your mind this week, Southborough?
For those of you new to the blog, the open discussion thread is your place to ask questions, sound off on town issues, or share information with other readers. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Ask questions about programs in town or the town itself
- Post a note about things that you’re selling or giving away, or things that you want
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- Point out interesting or helpful resources
You can add comments to the thread throughout the week. Check back often to see new comments. (If you read the blog via email or RSS, you might want to check the site from time to time for new comments.)
To view past open discussion threads, click here.
We have a wasp/ hornet nest under the flooring of our outdoor deck. We played nice for a while but I got stung the other day..so no more nice. Could anyone recommend a reliable and thorough pest control service that could remove this nest. Thanks very much.
NW Pest
New England Pest Control, aka Big Blue Bug
I have used Colonial Pest for years and have often recommended them. They have removed several wasp and beehive nests from my property. Good luck!
Thanks BarbM. Appreciate your reply.
What’s going on with Park Central and how do we keep working to stop it?
Multiple appeals cases are still in process.
Please go to saveflaggdeerfoot.com for more information on the Park Central project and to get involved.
Write the BOS and let them know your not happy about town Counsel fighting for the approval of park central on your tax dollar. He is misrepresenting that the town is in fully support of the development. It’s amazing that he’s allowed and taking it upon himself to fight in favor of the project. Enough is enough BOS pull all legal funding until Aldo stops or have him removed!!!
I mean, you can try your hardest, but Park Central is happening.
Don’t you love how the traffic studies don’t include the roadways that connect to Flagg Road? How did that happen? Like the 3,200 traffic trips vaporize and don’t end up on area roads?
You can thank Karen Galligan of the Southborough DPW for carefully scheduling traffic studies to provide the kind of results she wants. A few years ago a traffic study was requested on neighboring Parkerville Road in order to obtain a truck exclusion. The study curiously occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend, with fewer automobiles than usual and virtually no truck or heavy vehicle traffic.
The result was a truck count that didn’t achieve the truck exclusion MADOT threshold (surprise!). Imagine if the study had been conducted in 2019/2020 with all of the heavy equipment continuously traversing the same street for both the Burnett house and Main St. projects.
Seems like another example of a Town employee (like Aldo Cipriano) with their own agenda.
Time for some new faces
To the BOS, where is the accountability here? The lack of transparency, independent objectivity, and professionalism is staggering. Enough with the fixers and loosening of ethical standards. Do something! These town employees (and others) are ruining our town with their crummy cronies, lack of accountability and little to no oversight. Fully agree with other opinions here. This has gone on for too long with no proper managerial oversight. You really have no idea what they are doing. Whose bidding is being done here? Creating policies after the fact is stupid. Wake up, BOS. Do something! Time for change.
We should all try harder that is the point. Citizens, Selectmen, Planning, whoever has a voice for the people not the Developer. This town will suffer the consequences of this project. I would like my kids to continue to live here and maybe generations to follow. Developments like this ruin small towns, housing values, schools, put strain on already poor infrastructure like roadways and services and are now being bullied into bypassing Environmental regulations. This all to make sure Bill and the corrupt leaders that helped force this project through make a profit and way more than what was needed in this small area. Repurpose the commercial buildings that will be forever vacant now that companies don’t want them, Capital Group is going to need a life line anyway with all of their empty space.
Repurposing office buildings as housing would be great. The problem I foresee with that in Southborough is the lack of sewers. I don’t think any of the office properties along Rte. 9 have enough land for adequate septic systems for residential use, though I’d love to be wrong about that.
Better still, convert the unused office buildings into open floor plan schools, then put housing in the existing schools.
We need new learning spaces with better ventilation and with AC to support longer school years. If hybrid learning is in our permanent future then we should be preparing for rotating cohorts in larger classrooms.
Conservation commission is seeking comments and feedback from the public right now. Send in your letters ASAP to the Conservation Commission. Per their last meeting, they may close the public hearing at their next meeting on August 20 @ 7:30pm. Save the date.
One can view this last meeting on YouTube/ Southborough Access Media. The developer’s attorney pushes for a vote to close the public hearing. The matter could well end up at DEP. (The developer’s attorney is former General Counsel for DEP. Also, he is not a 40b expert per se, per legal authorities.). Send letters to BOS and DEP.
Town Counsel was reportedly unable to attend the most recent Pretrial Conference on this past Tuesday. The purpose of the meeting was to set the trial date. The developer’s attorney claimed full authority to speak for Town Counsel on dates. How unbelievable is that. Developer’s attorney speaking for Town Counsel.
For more information on the developer’s attorney, see the Public Admonishment filed under the attorney’s name, Angelo P. Catanzaro on the Board of Bar Overseers website.
Your tax dollars are paying for town counsel to sit next to the developer’s attorney in court.
The developer is benefiting from two attorneys in court and one is paid for by you. Write to BOS.
Btw, the developer’s attorney, Angelo Catanzaro, stated outright during the hearing that they wanted Judge William Ritter. Does this sound right? The scheduling judge wasn’t having it and scheduled the first available date in January.
Write to BOS.
Where is our town counsel? The residents opposition to this project is not being heard and it looks like our town counsel continues to disappoint regarding this matter.
Trottier Middle School is in the thick of this mess and is walked to by so many children on narrow scenic roads with no sidewalks and the reluctance thus far by the town to levy a truck exclusion is mind numbing.
I see on saveflaggdeerfoot.com there will be a petition circulating so everyone please keep your attention to this site so that we can be heard!
Where is Town Counsel? Sitting right next to the developer’s attorney, paid by the taxpayers, to the benefit of the developer. The entire controversial mess makes no sense whatsoever. The developer’s attorney asks outright for Judge Ritter (??) per the comments above. See SaveFlaggDeerfoot.com and write to BOS.
Who ever is leaving your used dog poop bags on Richards Rd., please pick them up.
Anyone know? Is it ok for a homeowner to post a sign on his property advertising his business? Are there restrictions on size? permanency? I am noticing more and more of them on the sides of our roads.
Building Dept handles this. Give them a call.
will be limited to size and set back and I’m sure the application will involve input from your neighbors.
Our sign bylaw is extensive: https://www.ecode360.com/9540073
I interpret it as requiring a permit from the building inspector for any permanent commercial sign (but I’m not a lawyer).
If you’re talking about land that is zoned Residential A or B, there really aren’t very many allowed business uses by right and only a small list allowed by special permit. Its entirely possible that these businesses aren’t sited properly. Signage and parking issues may be the least of the problem.
See here: https://ecode360.com/9539643
Our plow company has shut its doors and we are looking for a new one. Both Curtiss and J &J and Sons are booked for this season. Iam looking for recommendations..thank you!
Suggest contacting Raul Ortiz. Very responsible and will do an excellent job. Cell phone is 978-562-7186.
We use Judson Dantas from Marlboro.
(508) 933-8116
Very dependable, fair price, and he does a good job.
Jim
We are having a Moving/Garage Sale, 15 Stockwell Lane, Saturday 10/3, 9-1.
No early birds. Masks required and social distancing to be observed, please.
Furniture – bookcases and entertainment centers, futons, office chairs, file cabinets; Computer components (lots of miscellaneous spare pieces and parts); Sports equipment – scooters, skateboards, entry level bmx bike; Music Cassettes, Video games; DVD player, Vintage stereo equipment and speakers; a beast of a Sony Rear Projector TV that fits perfectly into one of the entertainment centers; Holiday decorations; Gas grill; miscellaneous household items and home decor; and plenty of games and toys, including slime making supplies!
Cash only please.
We also have a Gulbransen Pacemaker Organ with a bench, various music books and a light. Some of the pedals don’t work. Quality of sound is stlll good. We would prefer NOT to take a sledgehammer to it, so if you or someone you know would like it, it is free for the taking.
IIRC, one of the major incentives for the Main St. reconstruction project was specifically to add LEFT TURN lanes for all directions at the Main St. and route 85 intersection.
Now that the work is nearing completion I have observed no such markings on the pavement – rather a rehash of one lane in each direction.
This is NOT progress. All that money for granite curbs and improved sidewalks?
Come on!!!
Time to get the painters back and mark out those LEFT TURN lanes!!!
They’re not done yet, and no ‘shoulder’ lines are painted either. Give it some time.
Regarding, the Main Street Resurfacing project, I can’t believe this is how the state does work. I SURE hope they aren’t done.
Delays: First, the amount of time this resurfacing project has taken is ridiculous! And it still isn’t done? Ok, things shut down with the pandemic, but they have not been working consistently.
Roads connections not flat: Second, the “aprons” to adjoining streets have big “drops” or “raises”, causing me to go “Uuuuhh” everytime I pass from Middle Road to Main Street or vice versa. (I’m surprised Fay School hasn’t complained! Wait until the plows come through and rip it up.) Thankfully, the drop along Rte 30/Main Street near Sears Rd has been smoothed somewhat compared to what it was.
Lumps at street to sidewalks: The pored concrete sidewalks seem to all have been done too high for the meeting with the street and asphalt “bumps” have been laid between the sidewalk and the street? They look terrible and jut out into the road. I drive over it turning from Rte.30/Main St onto Parkerville Rd. This needs to be addressed.
Telephone poles: I hope these are not going to continue to be in the middle of sidewalks and IN the road (at Rte 85).
I am willing to give it more time, but snow season is coming soon.
One of the last stages of construction is laying the top course of asphalt before painting lines. I’ve been presuming that isn’t done yet. Back in the spring of 2019, the Town announced that the state project was scheduled to run from April 2019 to November 15, 2020. As of early July, they were still estimating that completion date.
Blame Verizon for the mess! They own the utility poles (and the wires on the poles that are still in the way of the road and sidewalks). They always hold up road projects because of their “I don’t care” attitude. Remember years ago when the railroad bridge on Marlboro Road was rebuilt? The opening was delayed months because there was a big old telephone pole in the middle of the new road that Verizon would not relocate.
The contractor cannot pave the roadway with a finished coat of asphalt until all of the poles are relocated and proper subbase is installed where the poles were.