Planning Board to Re-Evaluate Fruit Street Master Plan

As part of an update to the 2007 Hopkinton Master Plan, the Planning Board has decided to expand the scope of its review to include a section on the town-owned Fruit Street property. In a memo from Planning Board Chairman Ken Weismantel to the Board of Selectmen dated February 1, Weismantel says the plan is to evaluate the approved uses of the Fruit Street concept master plan and to look at potential uses for the future.

In order to accomplish the review, the Planning Board plans to appoint a subcommittee that would include representatives of current and potential stakeholders in the property. At the January 28 meeting, Weismantel said appointments could include representatives from the School Committee, DPW, Parks and Rec, Water and Sewer, and the Open Space Preservation Commission, who are current stakeholders, as well as the Cemetery Commission and Sustainable Green Committee, two groups that are looking to use land at Fruit Street.

“This is not going to be a committee that is going to last a lot of time, I hope, for people,” said Weismantel.

At the January 28 meeting, Weismantel laid out the goals of the subcommittee which include:

1. Evaluate Town Meeting approved uses for the Fruit Street property, evaluate other potential town uses for the property and decide whether changes in land allocation need to be proposed for Town Meeting approval.
2. Evaluate the location of the temporary access road and provide a conceptual location plan for the road. Establish a series of steps to build the road to service the future needs of the property.
3. Write a sub-section of the Master Plan to describe the future of the Fruit Street property development and establish goals/action plan.

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Weismantel also said that he had contacted the co-chairman of the original Fruit Street Development Committee, former selectman Ron Clark, and that he had agreed to serve on the new subcommittee as a citizen-at-large, if asked.

“He has all the original files in his possession,” said Weismantel, “and he has a photographic memory….it might make it a lot easier for that committee to get its work done.”

In his memo to the Board of Selectmen, Weismantel also asked for their involvement and asked for a representative to serve on the subcommittee.

The Planning Board intends that the work of the subcommittee will be completed by the end of April.