Weekly News Roundup – 10/24/2021
Main Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update • Undergrounding of Utilities Work Continues – Second Electric Manhole to be Installed • Conservation Commission discusses Connelly Farms, Leonard Street projects • Zoning Advisory Committee Public Forum Notice – 2021 • Select Board roundup: Beloin new police officer; Priefer selected for Planning Board; precinct map approved • Health director: Schools should keep masks for now; ‘Halloween is not canceled’ despite uptick in cases • School Committee votes to lift mask mandate at HHS for 3-week trial period • Multiple schools reached 80% vaccination rate ahead of Oct. 18 • Planning Board roundup: Development off Blueberry Lane moves forward • DPW director: New testing indicates higher PFAs levels in water; public information meeting next Tuesday • Hopkinton Senior Center: Pfizer Booster/High Dose Flu Clinic 10/28/2021 Hopkinton Health Department
Main Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update
What to Expect for the Week of October 18, 2021
- MassDOT Survey Crews to continue to locate limits of easements within the corridor
- Delivery of Electric materials
- Start the installation of Electric Manholes
https://hopkintonmainstreet.
RELATED: Live Construction Video Feeds are available for the Main Street Corridor Project, check where crews are working and traffic / weather conditions before you leave your home or office.
RELATED:
Undergrounding of Utilities Work Continues – Second Electric Manhole to be Installed
Installation of the first electric manhole vault was completed ahead of schedule and work on the second electric manhole may begin on Wednesday, October 20 and if not, then it will begin on Thursday, October 21. The work will take place between Mt. Auburn and Mayhew Street and is anticipated to take up to 3-5 days to complete.
View the technical plan outlining the work area (highlighted in green).
Conservation Commission discusses Connelly Farms, Leonard Street projects
Zoning Advisory Committee Public Forum Notice – 2021
The Zoning Advisory Committee is a nine-member board appointed by the Planning Board, typically with representatives from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Appeals, as well as At-Large positions. The Committee meets one or two times a month, usually on Monday evenings.
Select Board roundup: Beloin new police officer; Priefer selected for Planning Board; precinct map approved
At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Shannon Beloin was unanimously approved as the town’s newest police officer. Beloin worked the past five years in Provincetown, including a stint as a school resource officer. She has a B.S. in criminal justice from Bridgewater State University and is pursuing a master’s degree in law enforcement intelligence and analysis.
Priefer chosen for Planning Board
In a joint vote with the Planning Board, Ron Priefer was selected to fill the Planning Board seat recently vacated by Deb Fein-Brug, who moved to Maine. The position expires in May.
New precinct map approved
The board unanimously approved a new precinct map as presented by Town Clerk Connor Degan. Due to the population surge, Hopkinton is going from four precincts to five, with all five precincts around 3,700 residents.
Board passes on land acquisition
The board voted against scheduling a public hearing to consider acquiring land off Mechanic Street, between Wood Street and Interstate 495.
RELATED:
View Select Board Actions Taken – 10/19/2021
Health director: Schools should keep masks for now; ‘Halloween is not canceled’ despite uptick in cases
In his COVID-19 update at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe noted the town is in the midst of a surge in cases and suggested the schools should continue to enforce mask use until younger children get vaccinated and teachers get booster shots, both of which he hopes will be completed before the winter break.
RELATED:
School Committee votes to lift mask mandate at HHS for 3-week trial period
In a 3-2 vote, the School Committee on Thursday decided to adopt a trial period during which time COVID-vaccinated students at Hopkinton High School can remove masks inside the building. The trial period will run from Nov. 1-19. The mask mandate will resume on Nov. 22 in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday and travel.
Multiple schools reached 80% vaccination rate ahead of Oct. 18
Although the mask mandate for public schools in Massachusetts has been extended to Nov. 1, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has said that local school committees, at their discretion, can allow individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to unmask as of Monday — provided the vaccination rate among students and staff at the individual’s school is greater than 80%.
Planning Board roundup: Development off Blueberry Lane moves forward
Robert Truax of GLM Engineering Consultants spoke on behalf of the applicant, Alan Greenwald of Abbott Realty Trust, on the ANR (approval not required) request for the development of the five lots on Fitch Avenue, a proposed road off Blueberry Lane. He explained that the subdivision was approved about 30 years ago on a private way.
“There’s been litigation that went on between Mr. Greenwald and the owners with the Town of Hopkinton,” he said. “As part of the settlement agreement, my understanding is we’re going to create a Lot E that abuts the Town of Hopkinton property.”
DPW director: New testing indicates higher PFAs levels in water; public information meeting next Tuesday
Department of Public Works Director John Westerling, appearing before the Select Board at Tuesday’s meeting, provided an update on the issue with level of contaminants in the town’s water supply, indicating that another test showed even higher levels.
RELATED:
PFAS Public Informational Meeting Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 5:30 p.m. The Town of Hopkinton is hosting a public meeting to discuss Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS) in its water system. The meeting will be held via ZOOM.
View Public Information Meeting Details
Hopkinton Senior Center: Pfizer Booster/High Dose Flu Clinic 10/28/2021 Hopkinton Health Department
WHAT: The Hopkinton Health Department is offering Pfizer Booster Doses and High Dose Flu (65+) to those who are eligible. This clinic is open to the Town, but will be hosted at the Senior Center to better assist and target our seniors.
WHERE: The clinic will be hosted at the Hopkinton Senior Center located at 28 Mayhew Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748
WHEN: Thursday October 28th, 2021 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm