7/8/2010 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Minutes

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TO: Theresa Cook, Chairman Board of Selectmen FROM: Mary Waygan, Chairman Planning Board DATE: June 25, 2010 RE: Conversion and Acceptance of Private Ways to Public Roads CC: John Cahalane, Chairman, Environmental Oversight Committee Chuck Gasior, Finance Committee Joyce Mason, Town Manager Catherine Laurent, DPW Director As you know, the Planning Board recently revised the Town of Mashpee Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land. I would like to thank Engineer Charles Rowley, Town Planner Tom Fudala, and DPW Director Catherine Laurent whose hard work and dedication made this revision possible. We worked closely with Catherine Laurent with the understanding that these revised Rules and Regulations would be used to set the minimum design criteria for private ways being accepted or converted to public roads. To that end, at our June 16, 2010 meeting, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Town General Bylaws be amended to require all private ways accepted as or converted to public roads by the Town meet the Planning Board's adopted "Town of Mashpee Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land". Tom Fudala sees that this can be done by adding a subsection to both the General Bylaw Sec 150-6 Acceptance of Private Ways by Private Petition (new Subsection G.) and Sec 150-7 Conversion of Private Roads to Public Roads (new Subsection E.), both reading as follows: "All ways to be accepted as Town Ways shall be brought into compliance with at least the minimum standards set forth in the Town of Mashpee Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land." The report on the implications of private road conversions was very useful. And we are currently reviewing the fees charged by the Planning Board to see that they adequately cover our costs and are in line with fees charged by other local Towns. I would like to note that the Planning Board does require fees for subdivision inspections, and that due to state law, a developer has the choice of four methods of securing/bonding the construction of subdivision roads. Please let me know if the Planning Board can be of any assistance with this project.