Inactive

West Groton Rail Trail Committee

About

Charge

for Town of Groton’s

West Groton Rail Trail Committee

20 August 2024

Background

The West Groton Rail Trail Committee (WGRTC) will be dedicated to constructing a multi-use recreational path on the former Peterborough and Shirley Railroad right of way in West Groton. The portion of the right of way that will be the responsibility of the WGRTC starts on the Groton side of the bridge over the Nashua River on the Ayer/Groton town border and continues northwesterly to Cutler Field in West Groton, a distance of 2.4 miles. At Cutler Field, the path will meet the section extending to the Bertozzi Conservation Area that is being planned by Squannacook Greenways, a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Squannacook Greenways has already completed the Squannacook River Rail Trail from Bertozzi to downtown Townsend. The long-range development goal is to extend this Rail Trail north to New Hampshire and south to downtown Ayer.

Membership of Committee

The WGRTC will be made up of five members serving as unpaid volunteers. Members will be appointed by the Groton Trails Committee to 1-year terms running from July 1 to June 30. Members will be selected based upon the degree to which they possess experience with the following:  planning and/or building rail trails in Massachusetts; using rail trails recreationally; building and maintaining multi-use trails; writing grant applications; contributing as a volunteer on other committees; and willingness to devote their time and attention to the mission of the WGRTC.  At least one member must also be a member of the Groton Trails Committee.

Governance

As a Town Committee, the WGRTC will abide by all relevant town and state policies and regulations for public bodies as conveyed by the Town Clerk. For example, the members will elect a Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk. They will hold public meetings at least once a month and those must be posted by the Town Clerk. A quorum of committee members is required to be present at all public meetings, whether in person or via electronic means. Minutes of all meetings shall be taken by the Clerk, approved by the Committee, and posted by the Town Clerk.

No approvals from the Groton Trails Committee are needed for the WGRTC to conduct its normal business activities. However, the WGRTC must obtain approval from the Groton Trails Committee before taking any formal actions involving other municipal, state, or non-profit organizations, including but not limited to applying for legal counsel services, permits, or grants.

Charge

The exact actions of the WGRTC will be determined by the members, with consent of the Groton Trails Committee as noted above, taking into consideration the best interests of Groton and the most effective use of volunteers and other resources that may be provided to the committee. However, it is expected at this time that the WGRTC will undertake the following:

Permitting

• Work with the Select Board and Town Counsel to investigate the freight rights issues associated with the right of way from the Groton/Ayer town line to Cutler Field in West Groton.
• Work with the Select Board to negotiate a lease agreement between the MBTA (the lessor) and the Town of Groton (the lessee) allowing the construction of a crushed stone-surfaced multi-use path.

Environmental and Engineering Assessment

• Assist the Town Manager in preparing a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for an environmental and engineering assessment to be conducted on the section of the right of way for the portion of the right of way for which the WGRTC is assuming development responsibility to assess the environmental risks to the town of entering into a lease agreement and understanding the engineering challenges ahead.

Funding

• Money to cover the legal costs of investigating the freight rights issues and MBTA lease will be the responsibility of the WGRTC and may come from a Community Preservation Act (CPA) recreational grant application.
• Money to cover the cost of preparing the Environmental and Engineering Assessment RFQ will be the responsibility of the WGRTC and may come from a CPA recreational grant application.
• Money to pay for construction costs will be the responsibility of the WGRTC and is expected to come mainly from the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR’s) Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The 20% match required by RTP is expected to come from a CPA recreational grant application.
• The WGRTC will seek to identify other sources of funding for the project that may become available as the project moves forward.

All these activities will be performed under the authority and permission of the Select Board and the Groton Trails Committee. The Groton Trails Committee may, at any time, change what powers, duties, and responsibilities it delegates to the West Groton Rail Trail Committee.

Approved by unanimous vote of the Groton Trails Committee, August 20, 2024

Contact Information

West Groton Rail Trail Committee Documents

1. Minutes
   1. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-08-28_id-16534.docx
   2. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-08-07_id-16488.docx
   3. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-05-22_id-16288.docx
   4. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-04-10_id-16156.docx
   5. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-03-27_id-16135.docx
   6. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-02-20_id-16025.docx
   7. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-02-06_id-15970.docx
   8. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2025-01-09_id-15885.docx
   9. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2024-12-19_id-15856.docx
   10. West_Groton_Rail_Trail_Committee_approved_minutes_2024-11-21_id-15768.docx
   11. Access additional meeting minutes and agendas at the Meeting Center