January 12, 2007

Dear neighbor,
I am writing to you in an urgent matter. The town’s Planning Board is currently in the process of conducting hearings about the possible construction of a public roadway connecting Morse Drive in the Pine Needle Park neighborhood (off of Green Street) and Quarry Road in Woodcliff Estates. This road connection would be an attractive shortcut to and from Route 109 for motor vehicles from a large part of Medfield and neighboring towns.

I attended the past two hearings and, despite the extremely strong opposition that was voiced by residents present at the meetings, the members of the Planning Board continue to consider this “cut-through”.

The next Planning Board meeting will be held on Monday, February 5 at the high school. The Planning Board is intending to vote on the cut-through that night.
I am concerned that we, the affected residents, have not done everything possible to maximize our influence on the decision of the Planning Board. We can speak with one voice, prepare communication with town officials, collect signatures, and discuss the line of arguments for the next hearing. Many arguments against the cut-through and the impact on the quality of life in our neighborhoods have been presented at the meetings, but many more remain to be documented. We need to rally those who have remained on the sidelines. If a decision is made in favor of the cut-through, we will need to evaluate the possibility of an appeal, and get legal help.

All of this requires that we communicate effectively, and time is of the essence. I am taking a first step by setting up an electronic mailing list and a blog. The purpose of the blog is to document any findings and decisions, and to make them public. The purpose of the mailing list is for all interested subscribers to reach each other and have discussions. Please don’t wait and join me by registering on the blog at http://medfieldblogs.net, and by subscribing to the mailing list at http://medfieldblogs.net/list.

This letter is being sent to 270 households on Flint Locke Lane, Green Street, Cypress Street, Partridge Road, Morse Drive, Tamarack Road, Summer Street, Quarry Road, Vine Brook Road, Boyden Road, Pederzini Drive, Hatters Hill Road, and Minuteman Road.

Sincerely,
Christian Donner