Your Top 5 in Town News

A supplement to the quarterly newsletter to help Weston residents stay informed with Town Government.

1. Gas Main Replacement in Town Center

National Grid has been working with Town officials, businesses and abutters and will begin construction on Boston Post Road from Linwood Avenue to Church Street, including portions of Fiske Lane and Town House Road. Work will primarily be conducted at night, though there will be some daytime activity. Construction is expected to begin the week of May 23rd and continue through October 2016. To learn more about what gas main replacements entail, National Grid has a helpful video that explains the process.

National Grid will be supplying the Town with construction updates and a NewsFlash topic has been set up for people interested in receiving this information. Visit the "Stay Informed" section of the Town's website to subscribe to the "Boston Post Road Gas Main" topic to receive email or text alerts.

2. Selectmen Seek Feedback and Interest Regarding Town Boards and Committees

Positions on the town boards and committees listed below come up for reappointment by the Board of Selectmen on or around June 30th.  Pursuant to the recent revision of its policy on appointments, the Selectmen are currently soliciting from residents questions and/or comments regarding the charge, procedures, and activities of these boards and committees.  The Selectmen are also soliciting any informal expressions of interest residents may have in serving on these boards or committees now or in the near future.  

Responses to these solicitations may be used by the Selectmen, in their discretion, in considering whether or not to open a reappointment and solicit formal letters of interest as described in the appointments policy, in considering whether to potentially revise the membership, scope, charge, or duties of a board or committee, and in recommending priorities or activities for a board or committee to consider or pursue.

Email responses to the Selectmen at selectmen@westonmass.org or deliver them by hand or mail to the Town Manager's office at Town Hall, 11 Town House Road, Weston.  Please note that any written or emailed response should be accompanied by a name and not anonymous and may be considered a public record subject to potential disclosure under state law.  For fullest consideration, responses should be received by the Board prior to its scheduled meeting on June 28th.

The appointment policy is available online, and a listing of all town boards and committees, with separate links to each one, is on the Town's website.  

Following are the boards and committees for which at least one position comes up for reappointment by the Board this summer:  Affordable Housing Trust; Agricultural Commission; Board of the Council on Aging; Board of Registrar of Voters; Cable Advisory Committee; Community Preservation Committee - Parks & Recreation Representative; Conservation Commission; Crescent Street Historical District Commission; Historical Commission; Trustees of the Merriam Fund; MBTA Advisory Board; Metro West Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board Representative; Permanent Building Committee (appointed jointly with the School Committee); Stormwater Permitting Authority; Traffic & Sidewalk Committee; Tree Advisory Group; Weston Cultural Council; and Zoning Board of Appeals

3.  Case Estates Closing

The 2006 Special Town Meeting unanimously approved the purchase of the 62.5-acre, historic Case Estates from Harvard University and now the Town will officially close on this property. The Selectmen anticipate approving and signing the acceptance of the deed at their meeting on May 24th. The purchase of the Case Estates has been a project that Selectman Michael Harrity has been overseeing since the 2006 vote. Mr. Harrity has been busy organizing the next steps so the Town can finally move forward with the ownership of this central and historic piece of land. For details on the Case Estates, please visit the Town Project page on the Town's website. To participate in the visioning and discussion on the Case Estates land planning, please attend the June 18th forum mentioned below.

4. Upcoming Public Forums

Town Center Planning Committee is hosting a design charrette on May 25th at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall to present preliminary concept designs and early survey results for residents to review, discuss and provide valuable input in a working charrette session. The survey will remain open until the end of the month. Please take a few minutes to help shape the planning: www.tinyurl.com/WestonTownCenter.

Route 20 at Wellesley Street/Boston Post Road intersection improvements - The Town's traffic engineers and the Traffic & Sidewalk Committee took public comment from the last public hearing and will present a new concept drawing for this intersection. State funding will be sought for this project and resident input is vital. Additional information is available on the Town's website, under Town Projects. The public hearing is June 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Police Station training room.

Case Estates Planning - another public forum for residents to continue discussing the visioning and planning of the 62.5 acres of historic open land and buildings that will finally belong to the Town will be held on June 18th at 10:00 a.m. in the Police Station training room. A public meeting was held in March and the presentation is available on the Town's website, under Town Projects. 

5. Housing Production Plan Submission to the State

On April 26th, the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the draft Housing Production Plan (HPP) and on May 18th the Planning Board also unanimously approved the Plan. The plan is anticipated to be submitted the week of May 23rd.   

Upcoming

Annual Concerts on the Green will officially kick off on June 15th with the annual Ice Cream Social. Get your bellies full of ice cream at 6pm. The concert begins at 7pm with 4EverFab.