Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text

3-2-17

Open Space and Recreation Plan Update Committee · Source meeting date: 2017-03-02 · Record 56322

Saved text from 2 of 2 source pages. Transcription and OCR may contain errors; verify figures and wording against the original.

OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN UPDATE COMMITTEE Pequitside Farm – Tavern Room 
79 Pleasant Street 
Canton, Ma. 02021 (781) 821-5035 
MINUTES 
March 2, 2017 
1 
 COMMITTEE MEMBERS 
 
Voting Members Present: Ruth Slattery, Kevin Feeney, Patrick Manning, Sepp 
Bergschneider, Debra Sundin, Debra Kelly 
Non-Voting Members Present: Michael Ray, Nicholas Pirelli, Cynthia O’Connell 
 
Absent: Debbie Stein Sharpe, Laura Smead 
 The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM. 
 
Acting as Chair, Cynthia O’Connell asked the members to introduce themselves. 
 
As this was the first meeting of the Committee, the group discussed the organization of the Committee. Ruth Slattery and Kevin Feeney volunteered to act as Co-Chairs of the 
Committee going forward. 
 
Motion was made to elect Ruth Slattery and Kevin Feeney as Co-Chairs. 
 Motion: Ms. Sundin Second: Mr. Feeney Vote: 6-0 
 
Cynthia O’Connell distributed handouts to the members containing the Open Space and 
Recreation Plan (OSRP) Requirements from the Executive Office of Energy and 
Environmental Affairs, the Scope of Services for the update to the 1997 Open Space and Recreation Plan that was sent to the Community Compact program, a map illustrating the 
location of the Environmental Justice Population in the Town of Canton(from Mass GIS) 
and a list of the Committee members. 
 
The Committee reviewed the map and discussed the criteria for the Environmental Justice Population, with Michael Ray downloading the description of the map layer as being 
based on data from the 2010 Federal Census regarding minority populations, income and 
language isolation. The area identified is bordered by Randolph St. on the north, 
Turnpike Street on the west, the town boundary with Stoughton on the south and the town 
boundary with Randolph on the east.

2 
The Committee also discussed the reasons why this particular area of Canton had been 
identified as an Environmental Justice Population and concluded that part of the reason 
was the predominance of multi-family, affordable housing (Avalon, etc.) in that area of 
town. There was also some discussion of the Chapter 40B process that requires towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to make an effort to maintain 10% of the total housing stock as “affordable” according to standards set at the state level. 
 
Cynthia O’Connell informed the Committee members that the Community Compact has 
notified the Town Administrator that it intends to provided funding for a consultant to assist in the preparation of the update to the OSRP. Mr. Aspinwall is encouraging the Committee to prepare a Request for Proposals for this work so that it can be issued as 
soon as the funding becomes available. 
 
Ms. O’Connell volunteered to contact the Town Administrator and the Chairman of the Building Renovation Committee as to the appropriate format for a Request for Proposals and to prepare an initial draft RFP, with input from Nick Pirelli and Laura Smead, for 
review at the next meeting. 
 
Ms. O’Connell will also send out a Doodle Poll to all members to identify a date for the next meeting. 
Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 PM. 
 Prepared by Cynthia O'Connell, Canton Conservation Agent/Advisory Member of OSRP 
Committee