I worked as Milford’s Planning Director and Community Development Director for 22 years. After so many years in the local political environment I am deeply concerned that the majority of the current Board of Selectmen do not support keeping pedestrians safe. This reaction is due to the non-support of Warrant Articles 24 and 25. These articles had to be placed on the warrant by the petition of concerned citizens and are focused on constructing sidewalks in heavy traffic locations.

The Deliberative Session held on Saturday. January 30, 2021 showed that three Selectmen, including the Chairman, were either ignorant of the proposed funding or chose to ignore the facts. The Chairman stated that the Town would only be reimbursed through an 80% federal funds grant/20% local match at the completion of the sidewalk projects (Nashua Street, WA 24 and Osgood Road, WA 25). As explained at the Deliberative Session this is FALSE and the Chairman, (who has been a State Senator and a Selectman for many years) should know this is not true having been on the BOS during other grant-funded projects (South Street Improvements, Rte. 13/Emerson Road/Armory Road signalization, Melendy Road Rail-Trail underpass, sidewalks and parking from the Middle School to the High School to name a couple; as well as the Gregg Bridge and sidewalks to the North River Road Fields). That is an absolute red herring.

Another red herring, used over and over, is that maintenance of any new sidewalks would be a burden on the Public Works budget. Give me a break. Did we not recently (2018) approve a new sidewalk plow for snow removal? And I don’t see much DPW work going towards sidewalk maintenance anyway. Is using the new sidewalk plow for these new sidewalks and occasional manpower going to break the bank? Another argument against the sidewalks was that taking away parking spaces on Osgood Road exacerbates the Town’s (i.e. Oval’s) parking problems? Those arguments are patently ridiculous.

Especially disappointing to me was the question by another Selectman as to why the Planning Board did not require sidewalks for new development along Nashua Street. Had this Selectmen done his homework, which I believe he does on most issues, he would have found that for the past 15-20 years the Planning Board has required new development along Nashua Street (i.e. Georgio’s, Cahill Place and others) to either construct sidewalks along their frontage OR provide funds into a sidewalk improvement fund on Nashua Street – the most pedestrian- utilized commercial area in Town and a link to critical essential services.

Kudos and great appreciation to the two Selectboard members who support sidewalks, to the Capital Improvements Citizens Advisory Committee for realizing the importance of sidewalks in critical locations, to the Community Development Office and Planning Board for sticking with its philosophy to make Milford pedestrian-friendly and safe and to the Budget Advisory Committee for unanimous support of the WA’s 24 and 25. Don’t let other Town’s reap the benefits of federal funding programs that we know, given the state of our federal government, may not be available much longer.

Vote FOR 24 and 25 on March 9. Please. At last. While the projects can be paid for 80% by others. We’ve done this many times before to great benefit.

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