A Framingham City Council public hearing on the Edgell Road/Central Street intersection reconstruction project ended quickly tonight after a short presentation and just a single resident asked to speak, inquiring if his property is affected by needed easements (it isn’t).
Following the brief hearing, the City Council voted 11-0 to approve the taking of easements so the project can go forward.
“Overall, this [project] will mean an increased level of service for vehicles, increased safety, ADA compliance, and further accommodations for non-vehicular [traffic],” City Engineer Eric Johnson told the Council. “It includes a right-turn lane on Edgell onto Central, a left-turn lane [from] Edgell onto Central, improved ADA-client sidewalks, marked bike lanes, ornamental traffic signal equipment, landscaping, general safety improvements, and emergency vehicle preemptions on the signals.”
A memo about the project from City Engineer Eric Johnson to Mayor Sisitsky was part of the Council’s agenda posted online.
Johnson told the Council tonight that he’s been in contact with one resident who hadn’t been happy with initial project plans, but that resident has been provided “some additional considerations.”
“He told me that if he’s not happy, he’s going to come to this meeting. I’d say his absence means we’re in a positive process forward,” Johnson added.
“Last we heard, you were doing more significant landscaping, providing a few more trees, and getting them what he needed,” said City Council Chair Philip Ottaviani.
Because no residents have objected, the City Council Finance Subcommittee approved a request from the mayor’s office to acquire easements for the project, said subcommittee Chair George King.
The intersection project “was first conceived by the town back in 2016,” Johnson said. After a lengthy state and federal approval process, it became eligible for Transportation Improvement Program funding.
Most of the approximate $2.5 million for the project is expected to be paid for by state and federal funds. The city will be responsible for about $293,000, which will be requested in the 2024 capital budget.
Sign up for the District 2 email-list.