HomeMy Public PortalAbout11-09-2011 Committee reportTown Council
Town of Watertown
Committee on Public Works, Meeting November 1, 2011
Report: November 9, 2011
The Committee met November 1st at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers. Present were: Susan Falkoff,
Chair; Stephen Corbett, Vice -chair; Vincent Piccirilli, Secretary; DPW Superintendent Gerald Mee;
DPW Clerk Mary Haley; Director of Community Development & Planning Steven Magoon;
Treasurer/Collector Phyllis Marshall; Council President Mark Sideris; Councilors John Donohue and
Cecilia Lenk; and several members of the public.
1. Mt Auburn St Corridor/Coolidge Sq Study:
Mr. Mee explained that the DPW is currently in Phase 2 "Functional Design Report and Design of Early
Action Projects" which includes recommendations for projects to improve safety along Mount Auburn St
before the full road reconstruction is undertaken. Mr. Mee would like authorization to proceed with
Phase 3, which would use approximately $400K of Chapter 90 funds to do a preliminary design to allow
the Mt Auburn St reconstruction to be submitted for eligibility under the state/federal Transportation
Improvement Program. The Committee would like to see Phase 2 and 3 both presented to the public in
an evening meeting before the Town Council makes a policy decision to proceed, particularly since
there is still some controversy over the plan the council voted in an October 13, 2009 Resolution to
reconfigure the road. The meeting will be scheduled about February 15, 2012, before the FY13 Capital
Improvement Program is approved.
2. Recycling Center:
In the Town Council meeting on September 13th, the DPW was asked to evaluate the feasibility, cost
and a conceptual design for moving the recycle center to the Schick property at 183 Grove St. Mr. Mee
presented five design concepts, which were done by the Town's engineering consultant at no charge.
After some discussion, the Committee, Mr. Mee and Mr. Magoon agreed that figure 5 was the only
realistic option (copy attached'), and, while the space is tight, it would be functional. Mr. Mee estimated
that the cost would be about $22,000 if an outside contractor is used, or maybe half of that if the DPW
performed some of the work.
Councilor Corbett said he did not support spending money to move the recycling center to another
temporary location. Councilor Falkoff said that moving the recycling center from Filippello Park needed
an end date, and would support option 5 even if it was not perfect.
Councilor Piccirilli said that the Committee asked the DPW to determine if using the Schick property
was feasible, and the concept drawings show it is. He added that the drawings show recycling
containers that are currently in use and that if we have the new single -stream recycling contractor
operate the center they will probably use fewer containers and determine the most efficient layout.
President Sideris was concerned that this temporary location will be less adequate than what we have
now. He will also be calling for an executive session to discuss acquiring other potential properties for
a permanent recycling center location.
Councilor Piccirilli made a motion to recommend that design concept 5 be presented to whichever trash
hauler is selected by the administration, to be used as the basis for negotiation and preparation of their
proposal on how they will operate the recycling center, and report back to the Committee.
The motion carried 2 to 1, with Falkoff and Piccirilli voting yes and Corbett voting no.
1 Dumpsters are identified as follows: CB=cardboard, G=glass, HG=white paper, N=newspaper. Debris would be a yard
waste pile that would be compacted and loaded by the backhoe shown in red outline. The black area would be new asphalt
driveway. The green trapezoid would be a filled -in depression.
Page 1 of 2
Committee on Public Works Report — November 9, 2011
3. EPA Reports:
Councilor Falkoff ask why the Stormwater Advisory Committee has not been receiving the EPA
quarterly reports since Q3-2010. Mr. Mee said that the Deputy Superintendent used to send them but
since she retired apparently they were no longer being sent. He will make sure this is being done, and
will send back copies.
4. Local Road Reconstruction Projects:
Jason Del Porto of Hawthorne St discussed the extremely poor condition of the road, which has a
macadam surface and was perhaps last paved in the '40s or '50s. The numerous pothole patches are
often washed out by stormwater flowing under the pavement. Mr. Mee said the road is ranked as total
pavement failure requiring full depth reconstruction, but was lower down the priority list because it is a
dead-end street with low traffic volume. Mr. Mee said it is likely that this road will be on the priority list
for summer 2012 construction.
Councilor Falkoff asked when the road project priorities for next year will be set. Mr. Mee said that the
Pavement Management Study is being updated with current surface conditions as well as considering
several new innovative road treatments such as micro -scaling. The final report will be complete in time
for the CIP review in February 2012.
A Marion Rd resident asked why sidewalks are being replaced on adjacent streets to hers when Marion
road sidewalks are deplorable. Mr. Mee explained that some streets, like Marion Rd and Fayette St,
were repaved by overlaying asphalt without milling the surface. As a result, the road surface was
raised and is at the same level as the sidewalks, causing drainage problems, so the road surface needs
to be fixed before the sidewalks are addressed. Defective portions of concrete sidewalks on Marshall St
and elsewhere in town were being replaced, with the highway supervisor doing a field survey and
selecting the areas with the worst conditions as the highest priority.
On Pleasant St, Mr. Mee reported that final paving has started from the Waltham line, and MassDOT
gave 3 weeks to complete the final paving on the entire project.
The meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm.
The next meeting is scheduled for November 29th at 7:00 pm to discuss naming policies and snow
removal.
Report prepared by: Vincent Piccirilli
Page 2 of 2
PRO:
• GOOD CIRCULATION
CON:
• HIGHER CONSTRUCTION COST REQUIRED
115
02.5 C1 P
/SEDIMENT,
1,19. : �y
LIMIT OF/FILL ON
TOWN PROPERTY
(4:1 AX.)�+
%S60'58'17''W
+ 10-
721' f 117t5OC
6' CHAIN LINK FENCE\"
EN 44-1PLE _ o B" ' P1NE�� GATE
.- F
PT
5"
E_ f - MAPLE. ,^
288.27' TO - '5 5
rsF RCP GRANITE CURB o e = L ASPHALT GR -WE
CONCRET>
w
10" CAST IRON
WC
s 10" PIPE
ZONE 7-3"
118---
ZONE OSC C
GRANITE CURB
#183 GROVE ST
GRASS
CONC. WALT(
REM. 2' TALL SECTIO
OF CONCRETE WALL
REM. TREE J
REM. TREE
I___
W
ASPHALT
SMH
c R/M=117.8
IN 1 � —
109.99'
R ECEJ V
VIA TER
2011 NOV-13 P
10"
MAPLE
MAPLE
PROP. HMA
DRIVEWAY
---- 592.54' TO I
ASPHALT
GRANITE CURB
-- _ L?---
D>ti1H RIM=
/NV=116.1
INV=115.8
/NV=114.9
w
omme 4811•10
10" CAST IRON
OHW
UP 121
CE
/N
VC
(PUBLIC -50' WIDE)
ccI
PREPARED FOR.
TITLE:
GROVE STREET RECYCLE CENTER
WAT'ERTOWN, MA
PREPARED 8Y:
WteRLDTECH
ENGINEERING
DATE
10-18-2011
Figure 5
SALE
CONCEPT 5
300 (PAGE CENTER, SUITE 5580
003085.1711 IIE: 8ON3_.480ETTS 01811
PttQIC: 781 9339801
1 "_20'-0"
FAX 181-9314841
A,1
H
U
D.P. W,