By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Conservation Commission approved an Order of Conditions for Phase 1 of the Lynnfield Rail Trail in a 5-1 vote during a recent meeting.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently approved funding Phase 1 of the Lynnfield Rail Trail in fiscal year 2026, totaling $6,062,695. Spring Town Meeting also approved three warrant articles related to Phase 1 of the Lynnfield Rail Trail in late April. Phase 1 will go from Ford Avenue, which is off of Perry Avenue, to Nichols Lane in Peabody.
Due to Phase 1 of the Lynnfield Rail Trail involving work that will occur in the 100-foot buffer zone to bordering vegetated wetlands and the 200-foot riverfront area by Bates Brook and an intermediate stream, the Conservation Commission held a public hearing on the project that was discussed at several meetings.
Stantec Project Engineer Joe Rubino said the engineering firm has made changes to the rail trail’s entrance by Lynnfield Middle School’s Track and Field Complex.
“We received a lot of feedback at the last site visit we had about trying to maintain the existing trees on this property as much as possible,” said Rubino.
Rubino said the rail trail’s revised design by the LMS entrance will allow 23 trees to be retained. He said one tree will still need to be cut down.
“We feel that this is a big improvement,” said Rubino.
Rubino said the rail trail will use a country drainage system.
“We did add an 18-inch culvert that connects under the path that was requested at the site visit,” said Rubino.
Rubino said the Department of Public Works (DPW) will be maintaining the rail trail.
“They are going to be maintaining it by completing regular mowing along the path, shoulders and swales,” said Rubino. “They are going to repair any washouts that occur along the path and repair the path itself if needed if there are any issues with the trail’s surface. They are planning to clear any debris or vegetation that may be blocking drainage swales and culverts. They are planning to collect litter and other items. And overall, they are going to be performing vegetation management and maintenance along the trail.”
Conservation Commission member John Michalski asked if the DPW has any plans to clear snow from the rail trail during the winter to allow students to get to LMS and Lynnfield High School.
“No not right now,” said Rubino.
Residents weigh in
While Main Street resident Linda Newton said the DPW is “making great promises” to maintain the rail trail, she asked if the department was going to hire a subcontractor to maintain it.
“It can’t possibly be the town DPW,” said Newton. “The sidewalks can’t be kept clear if anything falls onto the sidewalk. There is not possibly enough people to take care of this project. It is not a question of money. It is a question of manpower as to who is going to be responsible for this. It is a great theory that the DPW is going to take care of it, but I don’t understand how we can commit any manpower at all when we are having such a problem maintaining what we already have.”
While retired DPW Deputy Director/Town Engineer John Tomasz said it is a “constant challenge” to maintain the town’s infrastructure, he said the town’s cemeteries, parks and schools “all look good.”
“I am not the director anymore, but I know (Director) John Scenna is committed to making sure that we maintain town property well,” said Tomasz. “I did too when I was director.”
Tomasz said three other towns informed him that maintaining rail trails was not difficult.
“When I did this, we were talking about the full 2.8 miles,” said Tomasz. “There was nothing that scared me about that. Can we do it? I believe we can. It is going to be very easy to maintain initially, but probably once or twice a year, there will probably be some significant maintenance that will need to be done, but it will not overwhelm the department.”
Former Planning Board/Conservation Commission member Alan Dresios, who lives on Bourque Road and is an abutter to the rail trail, said the Order of Conditions should stipulate the trail’s size be 10-feet-wide and not the 12-feet-wide request that the town submitted.
“The bike path should not exceed the 10-foot-width of pavement,” said Dresios. “There should also be something on herbicides in the Order of Conditions for the protection of human health and the environment. No herbicides should be used on the bike path. Only mechanical methods should be used.”
Dresios also said different signage other than the proposed flashing beacons should be installed at the rail trail’s intersections. He said the Order of Conditions should prohibit motorized vehicles such as mopeds and electric scooters.
Tree Committee Chair Jane Bandini, who is also a rail trail abutter, asked if the town would be purchasing the trees that will be planted at the Ford Avenue entrance to provide screening for abutters.
Planning and Conservation Director Emilie Cademartori said MassDOT will be purchasing the Ford Avenue trees as part of the project. She said the town has a certain amount of funds available to purchase trees for other abutters.
Bandini expressed concerns that only arborvitaes were proposed being planted at the Ford Avenue entrance because it would be a “monoculture.”
“That was because the neighbors asked for screening,” said Cademartori. “This was at the neighbors’ request. They wanted arborvitaes or a fence.”
Bandini disagreed.
“I know, but that doesn’t mean it is correct,” said Bandini. “They are calling for arborvitaes because that is what everybody does and they don’t know any different. That doesn’t mean we can’t do something better.”
In response to a question from Conservation Commission Chair Don Gentile, Rubino said the town will be watering and maintaining the trees planted on Ford Avenue once the project is finished.
Planning Board member Kate Flaws asked if a pervious surface could be used instead of pavement in rail trail areas that are in close proximity to wetlands.
Rubino said pervious surfaces are more difficult to construct.
“It also poses a big maintenance challenge for a lot of towns because those surfaces need to be vacuumed periodically with a piece of equipment a lot of towns don’t own or have access to,” added Rubino.
Cademartori also said the pavement will cap any potential contaminated soils in the railroad bed.
“If it was a pervious surface, then you would be encouraging water to go into those soils,” said Cademartori. “The pavement in this case is seen as a benefit. The state is paying to build this trail, and the town has to maintain it long-term. Pavement is a lot easier to maintain than a pervious surface. I use a lot of trails, and I see a lot of gravel and stone dust washed out all over the place. They are much harder to maintain than paved paths.”
Deliberation
After the four residents weighed in on the rail trail, Conservation Commission member Erin Hohmann proposed that the panel hold off on approving the Order of Conditions because Cademartori emailed the draft a couple of hours before the meeting.
“I would like a little more time to go through it because I am not comfortable just letting it go on my perusal,” said Hohmann.
Gentile disagreed with Hohmann that the vote should be tabled because he said Cademartori “put a lot of thought” into the Order of Conditions and “paid attention to details.”
Cademartori noted that the Order of Conditions will require “any trees larger than eight-inches caliper that are removed within any Wetland Resource Area or Buffer shall be replaced at a one-to-one ratio with native species.”
“All retained trees shall be protected from damage,” the Order of Conditions states. “Particular care shall be taken for trees, including their roots, in close proximity to equipment access routes, material stockpile areas and grading work.”
Conservation Commission member Maria Fernandez-Donovan said she agreed with Bandini that trees other than arborvitaes should be planted at the rail trail’s Ford Avenue entrance.
“The deer eat them and then they look so ugly,” said Fernandez-Donovan. “It defeats the purpose because they don’t block the view.”
While Gentile said Bandini and Fernandez-Donovan made “great points” about the arborvitaes, he expressed concerns about their proposal.
“This has been such a long permitting process and the neighbors were here for a number of hearings and the site visits,” said Gentile. “My concern is changing something when they are not here. From my perspective, I don’t see how (the arborvitaes) impacts the environment to such a degree that I would want to step in and veto something that the homeowners wanted.”
Michalski said there are evergreen trees that could be planted that are “deer resistant.”
“A mix would look more natural,” said Michalski.
In response to a question from Conservation Commission Vice Chair Kirk Mansfield, Michalski said evergreen trees are similar in height to arborvitaes.
The finalized Order of Conditions stipulates that, “the proposed planting plan for Ford Avenue shall be submitted for review approval.”
Cademartori said the Order of Conditions will stipulate that, “during and after work on this project, no herbicides shall be applied in any Wetland Resource Area or Buffer Zone without prior approval from the commission.” She also said the order will require “appropriate authorities” to approve the rail trail’s signage.
After the discussion, Gentile, Mansfield, Fernandez-Donovan and ConCom members Bryce Foote and Jared Yagjian voted to approve the Order of Conditions for the rail trail. Hohmann voted no.
While Michalski also voted to approve the rail trail’s Order of Conditions, his vote was not considered part of the final tally because the Select Board appointed him to the Conservation Commission after the public hearing was opened.