WILLIAMSBURG — By far the most contested issue in town will up be for a vote again at a special Town Meeting scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1, when the community will either say yay or nay to giving the town temporary and permanent easements along South Main Street in order to complete an 8-foot-wide shared use bike path on the street.
That path, also known as the Mill River Greenway, has been in the works since 2012 and would create a trail connection between Northampton and Williamsburg. Obtaining the easements at 31, 35 and 40 South Main St. is the necessary last step for the project to move forward.
The special Town Meeting will include two articles, with Article 2 concerning the Mill River Greenway expected to garner most of the attention. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at Anne T. Dunphy School at 1 Petticoat Road.
A simple majority of “yes” votes for Article 2 would mean construction for the Greenway project could begin. The project already has the state’s stamp of approval, and the first section of the project is already funded with $3,094,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
However, these funds have an expiration date and if not used the town will lose the money, town officials have said.
The first section of work would begin at the dismount of the current Mass Central Rail Trail, go to the Mill River bridge on South Main Street, and continue north to the intersection on Bridge Street.
The design includes an 8-foot shared use path. As part of the project, roads will also be redone and speed bumps will be introduced.
A 1,700-foot section of South Main Street, between the town’s bridges and the Northampton bike trail, is where the controversy has arisen. Some residents along that stretch contend the trail would pose a safety hazard with bicyclists riding past the end of their driveways.
Frustration boiled over during a vote over the easements during June’s annual Town Meeting when the proposed trail did not garner the required two-thirds yes votes from community members.
Unlike the vote in June, which erupted into a shouting match, there will be guardrails in place to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Among procedural enhancements, a gavel will be used to open, close, and call order during the meeting, and participants will be limited to three minutes to publicly state their opinions.
If the voice vote is close, there will be a ballot vote, and there will be volunteers to monitor the proceedings.
Additionally, a thorough explanation what the vote means has been provided by the town in booklets that will be available.
The explanation says that, “In connection with the Mill River Greenway Project, the Town intends to acquire, by a ‘friendly’ taking, permanent and temporary easements from two property owners whose properties are located on and off South Main Street. This article presupposes that the property owners will sign waivers of appraisals and compensation, thereby consenting to the takings.”
Article 1
Article 1 on Saturday will be a vote to set a $5,000 minimum value of taxable property. The current minimum is $0.
The article was recommended by the town’s assessors, and included a statement in Saturday’s booklet justifying the move.
“Presently, if the limit is brought to the proposed $5,000 value, the number of accounts would be reduced by 28 accounts, and the reduction of taxes would
be approximately $1,100,” it reads.
It further states that to collect and demand these bills exceeds the $1,000 of revenue the town receives.