Weston Rail Trail Committee Eyes Spring Bench Vote, Plantings Decision

WESTON — March 3, 2022 — Weston's Rail Trail Advisory Committee tackled unfinished plantings, bench placements, and the question of its own dissolution at a March 3 meeting, its first since May 2021. Town Purchasing Agent Charles Young reported that after final payment to contractor Belco Landscaping, approximately $15,452 remains in the construction plantings account and $23,995 in a separate design services account — a combined balance approaching $40,000 that the committee must either spend on additional work or return to the Community Preservation Committee. Young said a site visit in April or May will determine whether late-fall plantings survived the winter and whether a change order for additional planting is warranted. Committee Chair Gail Hutchinson announced that a previously contested bench location near Gun Club Road has been relocated to a flatter site near a cattle pass, with a formal vote expected at an April meeting. Members also agreed to prepare a progress report for the Select Board as a step toward formally closing out the committee's charge.