A failing culvert, tennis courts beyond repair, and floors and roofs that are reaching the end of their natural lives topped the list of requests presented to the Capital Planning and Investment Committee at its Nov. 6 meeting. About $1.4 million has been requested so far this season, and that does not include anything from the Fire Department or the schools. The current balance in the Capital Stabilization Fund is about $2.1 million, according to Finance Director Jared Mullane.
The most expensive item on the list to date is replacing the partially collapsed culvert on Eldridge Road. Interim Department of Public Works Director Paul Scott told the committee that the galvanized steel culvert is failing at both ends, collapsing on itself because of rust. The culvert holds up the road, so while there is still some water flowing through it, Scott said, it’s only a matter of time before the culvert collapses. “We want to stay ahead of that,” he said.
Scott said the $800,000 project is eligible for two grants from the state: the Community Culvert grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance grant from the Ecological Restoration Division of the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Scott said both grant applications will be submitted before the deadline. Both grants are reimbursement grants, so if the grants are awarded, the town would have to vote to fund the project in advance. He added that it’s likely only the MassDOT grant award would be announced before Annual Town Meeting in the spring.
The DPW is also asking for $200,000 to resurface about 3.5 miles of roads in fiscal 2027, including Old Shirley Road, Craggs Road, Mill Road, and portions of Pinnacle and Littleton roads. Scott said all have a lot of cracking, rutting, broken edges, and potholes, “all the things that make a road go bad pretty quick.” He said they all need to be milled and regraded so that they drain properly, then resurfaced.
Tennis courts and pond needs
The Park and Recreation Commission has two things on its wish list. The first is reconstruction of the tennis courts. Director Anne McWaters told the committee her initial request was for $50,000 to resurface the courts, but the cracks in the court were found to go down to the asphalt material under the surface. That material needs to be dug up and pulverized, she said, and the courts will then need to be reconstructed. The company that originally built the courts estimated the project at $228,000, but McWaters is looking for more quotes. She said she is also requesting funds for the courts from the Community Preservation Committee. CPIC Chair SusanMary Redinger said she had consulted with Stu Sklar, the CPC chair, and he would like CPIC to take on about $80,000 of the cost to rebuild the courts.
Park and Rec is also asking for about $26,000 for some Bare Hill Pond projects. The third raft (the one farthest from shore) started sinking last year and does not look repairable, so the commission would like to replace it. It also wants to extend the dock at the south end of the beach to accommodate boats dropping off and picking up people. In addition, Harbormaster Ben Barron wants to purchase four “no wake” buoys for the shallow water around Blueberry Island. He said boats go too fast in those areas, presenting a safety hazard to people in kayaks and canoes and on paddleboards.
Maintaining, not deferring
Facilities Director Jeff Hayes is asking for about $200,000 to replace some roofs and floors in a few municipal buildings, and to replace the roof and exterior siding on the beach house. He said the roofs on the beach house, the Still River Fire Station, and the old ambulance building (next to Town Hall) are all at the end of their lifespans and will need replacing in the next few years.
Much of the flooring in the Public Safety Building, especially in the lower level, is in rough shape, and Chief James Babu had already requested CPIC funds to replace it. Hayes said this flooring request would replace Babu’s, and he is adding replacement of the floors in Town Hall as well. Those floors, installed when the building was renovated in 2015, are near the end of their life, he said, so he is packaging the two flooring requests together “to bring the net cost down a bit.” Hayes said he does not yet have quotes for the floor or roof requests, so those numbers are not yet firm.
