Rail Trail Committee Approves $146,000 Grant Bid for Trail Screening Work

WESTON — June 11, 2018 — Weston's Rail Trail Advisory Committee voted to pursue a $146,000 state matching grant for native buffer plantings and fencing along the town's rail trail corridor. The committee approved the grant application at its June 11 meeting after landscape consultant Allison Richardson presented conceptual planting designs for seven prioritized abutting properties plus the Stonegate at Weston condominium complex, with individual installed-cost estimates ranging from $14,000 to $21,000 per parcel and the Stonegate section estimated at $33,000. Three properties on the unpaved Conant Road-to-Church Street segment were excluded from this round, bringing the base construction estimate to roughly $97,000 before design, escalation, and contingency funds pushed the total request to $146,000. The committee also voted unanimously to authorize up to $5,000 from the remaining balance of a $73,000 design appropriation to fund Richardson's participation in a community meeting with Stonegate residents and revisions to up to three plans before the June 29 grant deadline. Members entered into the record a petition from Stonegate residents citing concerns about unleashed dogs, trespassers, and late-night trail use by non-residents, deferring a formal response pending outreach.