Public Hearing Notice  Gardner – North Central Pathway Extension

A Virtual Design Public Hearing will be hosted on the MassDOT website below to present the design for the proposed project in Gardner, MA.

Purpose:

The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed project. All views and comments submitted in response to the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.

Proposal:

The North Central Pathway Extension is designed to enhance pedestrian and bicycle accessibility by completing a shared-use path (SUP) that will connect downtown Winchendon with downtown Gardner. This project will reuse a former railbed, transforming it into a 10- to 12-foot-wide asphalt path that promotes safe, healthy transportation options between the two communities. The path will begin at the former railbed, at the terminus of a recently completed city-led SUP project, near Jackson Street and extend approximately 1.5 miles north to Green Street (State Route 140). Project limits will be coordinated with the adjacent SUP bridge project (#609108) over Route 140.

A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and permanent or temporary easements may be required. The City is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be presented in the hearing.

Project inquiries, written statements and other exhibits regarding the proposed undertaking may be submitted to Carrie E. Lavallee, P.E., Chief Engineer, via e-mail to MassDOTProjectManagement@dot.state.ma.us or via US Mail to Suite 7550, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Project Management, Project File No. 613260. Statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the hearing transcript must be emailed or postmarked no later than ten (10) business days (14 calendar days) after the hearing is hosted.

This hearing is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (e.g., interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, live captioning, videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), TTD/TTY at (857) 266-0603, fax (857) 368-0602 or by email (MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us). Requests should be made as soon as possible and prior to the hearing, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten business days before the hearing. 

This hearing will be hosted, or a cancellation announcement posted, on this website.