Page 346 - BOXFORD

BOXFORD BORDER TO BOSTON RAIL TRAIL COMMITTEE

2016 was a quiet year for moving ahead with MASS DOT’s plans to construct a rail trail within
the three towns of Boxford, Georgetown, and Newbury. We are waiting for National Grid to
decide if the engineer’s wire measurements from ground to electric wires will meet OSHA
standards followed by the drafting and signing of a 99 year lease from National Grid to permit
these three towns and MASS DOT to finish the Border to Boston (BtoB) rail trail project.
A Public meeting will be held soon after completion of two strategic items: National Grid’s
approval of the wire to ground measurements and the 25% level has been reached in the
engineering design. The first section MASS DOT plans to build is from Route 97, Georgetown
to Georgetown Road, Boxford.
While waiting, the Boxford rail trail committee has installed two kiosks at the Georgetown Road
and Pye Brook Lane intersections with the rail trail (2015), maintained the rail bed by cutting
brush and mowing, and signed the on-road ECG (East Coast Greenway) bike route.

In the meantime, BTA/BOLT’s Board voted to buy the Hemlock Road parcel for sale by Loren
& Sally Wood. In 1990, Sally Wood gave oral permission to BTA/BOLT to establish a trail on
this lot for the Bay Circuit Trail to avoid the dangerous stretch of road between the rail bed
crossing on Kelsey Road and the entrance to the Kelsey Arboretum. Then this safer route was
included in the BtoB rail trail route from Pond Street to Georgetown Road including the Bay
Circuit Perimeter spur thru the Kelsey Arboretum. However, both trails became interrupted at
their intersection here, necessitating purchase of the property to reconnect the trails.

Users of both these major trails, and generous friends of the Bay Circuit and BtoB rail trail
rallied to raise private donations and support a successful auction at Lincoln Hall in December to
raise the $270,000 needed to purchase the” Hemlock Junction” parcel. Closing date: March
2017.

“THANK YOU” TO THE DONERS WHO MADE THIS SAFE CROSSING OF KELSEY
ROAD AND TRAIL CONNECTIONS FOR TWO MAJOR TRAILS POSSIBLE.

BTA/BOLT is planning improvements to “Hemlock Junction” with a dedicated trail thru this
parcel, parking, rest area and improved access down the 4-5 foot slope at junctures of “Hemlock
Junction” and Kelsey Arboretum/Everest trail easement to rail bed.

Respectively submitted,

Nancy Merrill
Tony Brogna
Carole Davis
Steve Davis
Al Nierenberg
Peter Perkins
Mark Phelan

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