[Ed note: My Southborough accepts signed letters to the editor submitted by Southborough residents. Letters may be emailed to mysouthborough@gmail.com.
The following letter is from The Stewardship Committee.]
To the Editor:
The Southborough Stewardship Committee wants to share updates about Breakneck Hill Conservation Land:
- We are excited to announce the newly installed art trail map of the property on the kiosk at the Trail Head Parking Lot. It is the work of artist, botanist, and proponent of conservation land Claire Dacey. We hope you will check it out on your next visit.
- Anyone driving by the Breakneck Hill Conservation Land will notice that one of the parking lots is closed. This is due to the farm dump cleanup, which you may have already heard about. The Conservation Commission is working with contractors to clean up the old farm dump that exists on the property. You can learn more about the cleanup, which began in March, on the Conservation Commission’s website. We expect the work to be completed in June.
- In the interest of safety while that work is underway, please know that:
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- The parking lot at Community Gardens, by the shed, is closed except for authorized vehicles. This will remain in effect until the work is complete. As the Community Gardens gets its season underway, registered gardeners will have limited access to park there outside of the contractors’ working hours. Registered gardeners will receive specific instructions. However, until the farm dump work is complete, parking for the general public is prohibited.
- All trails closest to the farm dump will remain closed until the contractors complete the work.
- The majority of trails remain open for your enjoyment. Access is from the Trial Head parking lot by the kiosk.
- April is the onset of the bird-nesting season, and the stewards expect the return of the bobolinks, kestrels, and indigo bunting, among others, that have made Breakneck Hill their homes in prior seasons.
Lastly, we want all the residents of Southborough to be aware that a 40B housing proposal for 118-120 Turnpike Road is under review. This project will directly abut Breakneck Hill Conservation Land.
The Stewards are on record opposing the development, and our record of opposition can be found on our website. Our reasons for opposing include, but are not limited to, the harm the development will have on the visual experience for visitors to the conservation land as well as the considerable detriments to habitat.
We recently became aware that 6.2 acres of the land that the proposed 40b would be sited on is required to be gifted to Southborough under a previously recorded site plan decision. In response, the project proponent has filed for a Site Plan Modification with the Planning Board to eliminate that requirement.
The Stewards wrote to the Planning Board asking it to take all appropriate steps to implement the legally binding, approved site plan decision that requires the 6.2 acres at 118-120 Turnpike Road be transferred to the town as Conservation Land. Our letters are available at our website.
The Planning Board Hearing is scheduled for the evening of Monday April 29th (check the town meeting calendar for the precise time once the Planning Board posts its agenda). We encourage all residents who value the beauty and wildlife of Breakneck Hill Conservation Land to attend the upcoming Planning Board hearing concerning those 6.2 acres and the proposed development. We hope to see you there.
Thank you for your consideration.
On behalf of the Stewardship Committee,
Joyce Greenleaf
Chair, Southborough Stewardship Committee
