Committee on Public Works Report – June 23, 2009Page 2 of 3
Traffic Calming on Maplewood StreetMr. Mee presented a plan that he developed for traffic calming on Maplewood St, because oflong-standing complaints from the neighborhood about speeding traffic that uses it as a cut-through.
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Maplewood St from Arlington St to Edgecliff Rd was scheduled for mill & overlayrehabilitation, and Mr. Mee would like to extend the mill & overlay to School St andincorporate traffic calming measures. By adding these measures as part of therehabilitation, they can be done at a much lower cost than if they were done as a retro-fit.
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The first element would be three “raised tables” mid-block between Hillside Rd,Langdon Ave, Winsor Ave, and School St. These would be about 12 feet long, andwould not go all the way to the curb so as not to interfere with drainage and to preventvehicles from going up on the sidewalk. These are not “speed bumps” which can causevehicles to go out of control if they are hit at high speed.
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Mr. Magoon stated that the Planning Department supports this measure. TheCommittee voted unanimously to approve the installation of speed tables as described.
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The second element would be a reconfiguration of the confusing intersection ofMaplewood St, Edgecliff Rd and Summit Rd. Parts of this intersection are up to 40 feetwide, and the roads will be straightened out and narrowed down to perhaps 25 ft wideby the placement of new asphalt curbs. This will improve sightlines and slow traffic.
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Mari Ryan pointed out that there are no stop signs at Maplewood for Summit Rd, IrmaAve, Kimball Rd, and Templeton Parkway. Mr. Mee said under state law stops signsare not required, but he would be willing to petition the Traffic Commission to have stopsigns installed after the construction is complete.
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Mr. Mee said the Maplewood project will begin in July, and he will update thisCommittee on the status of the entire road rehabilitation project in the July meeting.Ridgelawn Cemetery ExpansionMr. Mee presented a preliminary design concept for the remaining triangle of undevelopedcemetery land defined by the Waltham border, Partridge St, and Highland Ave. RidgelawnCemetery is filling up, with about 135 burials per year, and there are only about 30 unsold plotsleft. Burial space is rapidly disappearing in Massachusetts cities, and burial practices arechanging with more of a trend toward cremation, and this design concept addresses both ofthese issues.
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The concept envisions above-ground structures for caskets and urns, five gatheringareas for ceremonies, and a new workshop. There will be about 4700 crypts about 36” x30” x 120” for caskets, and about 700 12” x 12” niches for urns.
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Above-ground crypts are now in use at Calvary Cemetery in Waltham and Mt AuburnCemetery. These structures would be between 10 to 17 feet high, depending whetherthey were on flat areas or built into a hillside.
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Mr. Mee did not have the exact figures with him, but he said the Town charges $800 fora burial plot, which can hold two caskets stacked on top of one another. There is a$400 charge per burial for a casket, and $150 for an urn. Mr. Mee said we also need to
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