Main Street Project

To review the Chester Village Master Plan see the link below:

Members:

Michael Joplin
Steven Tiezzi
Jeremy Ziemann
Charles Mueller
Charlene Janecek
Leslie Strauss
John Schroeder

Edmund Meehan
John Divis

Mission Statement

Engage the community, consult with experts, research similar projects, and communicate with governing authorities and utility companies to establish project limits, design criteria, budget,phasing and schedule for the reconstruction of Main Street for consideration and approval by the Board of Selectmen and the community at large. Seek out and identify sources of funding. Assist the Board of Selectmen in managing the design and construction process by engaging with qualified design professionals and site contractors. Continue to keep the community informed throughout the entire process.

Main Street Project Committee Charge to the Committee

Main Street in Chester is a former State road that the town purchased for $1 from the State. Chester’s responsibility for maintenance begins on the village side of the Main Street Bridge and continues to the intersection of Main St. and Middlesex Ave.

As the name implies, Main Street has been one of the primary locations for traffic, infrastructure and commerce since Chester’s inception. While under the State’s stewardship, Main St. was continually “overlaid” with paving material. There are no records of a complete reconstruction. As a result, some portions of the pavement exceed the height of the curb reveal creating significant drainage problems. Beneath the pavements exists ageing and abandoned infrastructure that includes but is not limited to water mains, trolley tracks, sewer lines, water lines, stormwater drainage, and possible electric service.

A significant need to reconstruct the road surface and associated sidewalks, as well as inspect and replace the utilities that are under the roadway has been recognized for quite some time. In addition, life and fire safety of the village as it relates to the reconstruction should be considered. In fact an active “Main Street Committee” was formed in the early part of the century to review the situation and make recommendations.

A number of factors have complicated the process and continue to do so. These include the construction of a new sewer line and the replacement of three village bridges by the State. As of July 1st, 2011 the sewer project and the Middlesex Avenue bridge projects are complete. The replacement of the Water Street bridge over Great Brook is scheduled to begin in July of 2011. The replacement of the Main Street Bridge is scheduled for 2013 or later.

With each passing year the need to address the aforementioned problems becomes more acute. Given the States bridge construction schedule it is important that Chester identify the scope of need for Main Street construction and put into practice a planning process to effectuate the required work. As of July 1, 2011 the Town has $419,000 ($219,000 in the capital budget and a $200,000 STEAP Grant) to use for the reconstruction of Main St. An additional $400,000 to $600,00 is expected to be needed to complete the project.

To that end the Board of Selectmen voted on June 15, 2011 to form an ad hoc “Main Street Committee”. The Selectmen will strive to include a diverse group of individuals with complementary skills and backgrounds, with any individual potentially fulfilling one or more of them. The following skills and backgrounds have been identified as vital to the makeup
of the Committee, however the membership may be open to others with related skills, knowledge or backgrounds:

• A member of the Planning & Zoning Commission
• A member of the WPCA
• A Board of Selectmen representative
• An urban designer or landscape architect
• An architect
• A civil engineer
• A merchant
• A Main Street resident
• A person with road construction experience
• A person with fire safety experience
• An at-large member

The charge to the Main Street Committee is as follows:

The Main Street Committee, serving at the pleasure of the Board of Selectmen is charged to advise that board in the development and implementation of a defined scope of work, schedule and budget for what has generally been referred to as the “reconstruction of Main Street”. Specific actions include but are not limited to:

Definition of scope of work
- Coordinate an assessment of visible infrastructure, including, but not limited to:
  - Street surfaces
  - Sidewalks
  - Lighting
  - Landscaping
- Coordinate an assessment of sub-surface utilities and drainage
- Schedule public input/ forums for the town in general and those most directly impacted, paying particular attention to STEAP Grant requirements
- Identify contractors / experts on germane topics and solicit input as needed
- Where appropriate determine materials / surfaces to be incorporated into project.
- Provide point of contact for designers working on project
Act as liaison between Chester, State agencies and utilities
- Coordinate communication and scheduling with the DOT Great Brook and the Main Street dam projects
- Coordinate communication between Chester and utilities impacted by the project.
- Coordinate required municipal permitting
Develop construction schedule based on evolving DOT schedules and input from public
Provide point of contact for contractors working on the project
Report to the Board of Selectmen as directed by the board
Other duties as determined by the Board of Selectmen