Trails looking at Hot Dog lot at U-Ave

The Norwood Trails Advisory Committee (NTAC) met last week and discussed the trail at the Town’s northern most border, the University Avenue Trail.

There is a bit of a history here, but the main issue for this trail is that of access. There is only a small area owned by the Town where you can park to access the trail, and that’s what the NATC is calling the Hot Dog Lot, usually occupied by a hot dog or other food trucks (Tailgater’s Food Truck, according to Google Maps on the date of publication).

But the lot only has space for about three regular vehicles. The food truck has historically provided lunch options for the nearby warehouses, offices and large businesses in the area. The NATC is looking at submitting to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to use Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to expand the parking in the area.

Currently, the NTAC said most people access the trail from a nearby private parking lot, though that’s not sustainable, so they’re submitting to the CPA for the open space bucket.

But there is a further complication. The NTAC originally submitted a $50,000 request to the CPC five years ago to hire a consultant to work on the Tiot Trail, which would have started – and still is intended to start – here at the University Avenue conservation land.

But the NTAC never hired a consultant. Instead, the group has been relying on in-house personnel like Joseph Barrett and Gerry Hopcroft to figure out the Tiot Trail. The Tiot Trail is the endgame for the NTAC, as it would be a circle of trails in a connecting loop all throughout the Town of Norwood.

“We have not had consultants other than Gerry and Joe, who have been basically acting as the site engineers, and so throughout all of the work on the Tiot Trail, we haven’t had an outside feasibility study at all, save for all the crossings themselves,” NTAC member Brian Palmateer said. “So in my mind, why do we need a consultant now, when we haven’t in the last five years?”

Palmateer said the consultant was only hired for trail-making feasibility, and since the NTAC has now figured out it can do that for itself, it’s not at all necessary.

“We have the trails now already, so we don’t need the consultant,” he said.

NTAC member Joseph Greeley said he hopes the fact that the NTAC did not use these funds for five years, despite requesting them, that it doesn’t sour Town Meeting members’ view of the NTAC.

“If Town Meeting doesn’t see fit to approve a new project, we’re high and dry,” he said.

Palmateer asked that a letter be drafted from the NTAC to the CPC to relay this information.

“It would just say, ‘Thank you for the offer of the money, but it turns out we don’t need a consultant, we’ve got in-house expertise that has managed to take advantage of the area and put in trails and please put this to another worthy cause,’” he said.

The NTAC nominated Assistant Economic Development Director Ilex Jones to draft the letter.

The NTAC also voted unanimously to return the $50,000 to the CPA Fund, but also voted to commission a proposal for the parking lot expansion at University Avenue, which will be an integral part of the Tiot Trail system.

NTAC Chair Chris Paddock intimated that he feels keeping a good relationship with the CPC is important.

Greeley said he’s already submitted the eligibility application for the parking lot proposal. He said the next due date is for the application itself in the next few weeks.

“That’s the one where we’d have to meet with (Norwood Town Engineer and Department of Public Works Director) Mark Ryan, finalize the numbers, and take a site walk with him or someone from the Engineering Department,” he said.

Greeley said the only big concern is that there is an easement running through the site for gas line access. He said while they do have to make sure the work and usage of the lot would not be enough to impact the gas line, there does not appear on the face of it to be a problem with the idea of expanding the parking there.

“Certainly we would confirm that before this would move forward,” he said. “I will try to arrange that walk-through with Mark and anyone who wants to join. If you haven’t been out to that trail in a while, (NTAC member Joseph Barrett) has gone out there and flagged it, so if you want to see what the trail will hopefully turn into, try it. We’re contemplating also that all the trail work will be volunteer work – hint hint.”

In other news, the NTAC contemplated hosting its own costume hike next year. It held a costume walk last year with Progress Norwood in past years, but Paddock said they’re not doing it it this year. Paddock said however that before next year’s Halloween, they might host one for other days that have dress up, like the Jewish holiday Purim.

Speaking of Halloween, the NTAC also gave an after action report of the Lantern Walk at Hawes Pond during the Norwood Parks Department Pumpkin Float the previous weekend. Paddock said between corralling the kids and speaking with interested residents about the trails, they didn’t even notice the floats, which was a good problem to have. The NTAC agreed that a costume walk might be a good idea for next year here as well.