SHELBURNE FALLS — Project engineers, consultants and residents came together Monday to discuss Phase 2 of the Bridge Street construction project that will hit the village in the coming years.
Residents and business owners gathered around the Asma’s Kitchen food truck to shed light on collective concerns and questions regarding the project plans. The walking tour — along the Phase 2 zone of the project — that followed was an opportunity for those invested individuals to ask specific questions about how the project could interact with their properties.
Leading the discussion were Mike Carter, lead project engineer with the civil engineering firm GCG Associates, and Linda Overing, grant consultant of Breezeway Farm Consulting.
Carter described the project as “comprehensive,” explaining that the second phase will include new pavement, sidewalks and curbing, a water main and sewer work.
Phase 1 of the project, which is underway now, is funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that the town applied for in March 2020. To fund the second phase, the town will apply for another CDBG this fall, as the grant timeline has been skewed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the firm and town are planning to work on the sidewalks, water main and sewer in fall 2022, and to cap the project off in spring 2023, with the roadway and tree aspects of the work.
The topic the group spent the largest amount of time discussing is the concern over the trees that will be uprooted from the village when this work is being done.
Shelburne Falls resident Rita Jaros said that native and shade trees along Bridge Street would be most beneficial to the character and life of the town. Jaros was concerned about the uprooting of street trees present in the construction zone due to the sidewalk and pavement work.
Carter, however, informed the group that workers intend to plant new trees in the place of the ones they have to take out. He added that the present trees are causing tripping hazards due to their roots disrupting Bridge Street sidewalks, and that many of them likely would not be able to make it through construction. He said this safety hazard is something both GCG Associates and the town government is taking seriously, as they’re working to keep Shelburne Falls safe for years to come.
To determine what types of trees would be most beneficial, the firm and the Selectboard have enlisted help from the town Tree Committee to finalize tree species recommendations. In addition, Brock Cutting, a retired landscape architect with extensive tree knowledge, was present at the meeting and walking tour to aid in the discussion and a realistic action plan.
“Nothing has been finalized except for the recommendations,” Selectboard Chair Bob Manners said in response to concerns regarding the specific trees going in and their placement.
Sixteen trees are set to be placed along Bridge Street, of carefully thought-out varieties, potentially including maples and honey locusts. A Selectboard meeting Monday night was to be held to discuss these recommendations, and another public meeting will be held via Zoom on Aug. 16, at 6 p.m.
To ensure that the trees don’t disturb the new sidewalks and curbing, part of GCG Associates’ plan is to use a material known as Silva Cells under the sidewalk — hollow milk carton-esque material with the strength to hold up the sidewalk while allowing plentiful space for tree roots, GCG engineer and inspector Lucas Brinkman explained. That space then gives the engineers the ability to put in soil and compost under the sidewalk instead of gravel, which will in turn move tree growth along at a quicker rate.
Tree locations with respect to various businesses and properties were discussed on the walking tour, along with curb heights, sidewalk widths, crosswalk additions and potential Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant accessibility. The discussion and willingness to connect with residents individually was appreciated, as expressed by those participating, and it was noted by several individuals that had they known the specifics about the upcoming phase, and understood what rationale was being put into it, they would not have been so concerned in the first place.
“If they had just let us know that the Tree Committee was working (on this), a lot of fears would have gone away,” said Whit Sanford, a board member of the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association (GSFABA).
She added that the lack of communication of pertinent information really stood out specifically with this issue, and she, along with other individuals present, advocated for advertising on platforms such as Facebook to spread the word and creating a summary that is available to the public.