Weston CPC Advances $62,535 Rail Trail Cattle Pass Repair Request to Town Meeting

WESTON — October 16, 2017 — Weston CPC weighs $62,535 repair request for rare 1920s rail trail cattle passes. The Community Preservation Committee heard a renewed pitch from Historical Commission co-chair Phyllis Halpert, who asked for CPA funding to repair two reinforced-concrete cattle passes along the future Mass Central Rail Trail before Eversource permanently fills their openings during access road construction. The full estimate is $62,535, though the committee was told the cost could fall to roughly $45,000 if the on-site contractor Lawrence Lynch performs the work, eliminating mobilization costs. Members generally supported preserving both structures but debated the all-or-nothing risk of a single town meeting warrant article, with one member warning, "I think it's risky, right? You may end up with nothing." The committee separately learned that elevated lead levels in two of 12 soil samples at 500 Wellesley Street have forced a postponement of a planned land acquisition there, with further testing and possible remediation required before any town meeting request can proceed.