Board of Public Works Approves Land Transfer to ConCom

Wayland voters decided at the recent Annual Town Meeting to authorize the Board of Public Works to return land near the Wayland Transfer Station to the control of the town's Conservation Commission.

The Board of Public Works took steps under that motion on Monday.

The Town Meeting article was intended pave the way for construction of a new Department of Public Works facility at the site of the current salt shed as well as for development of an access road to that facility from Route 20 around the back of the transfer station.

According to comments in the 2013 Annual Town Meeting Warrant, the land in question was under agreement that it be returned to the Conservation Commission once it was no longer needed for the town's landfill.

Under the passed motion, voters made it possible for the roadway could continue to be legally held by the DPW (and be an access road to the proposed new facility), and the Board of Public Works was authorized to transfer the land back to the Conservation Commission.

Voters passed the land transfer motion under Article 9 by a vote of 158-95, but, ultimately, put the brakes on the construction of the new facility and access road. Still, the vote approving the transfer of the land stands.

On Monday, the BoPW voted 4-0 to declare as surplus the land addressed by the Town Meeting vote. The motion is contingent on "Conservation Commission approval of motions that give effect to Article 9 of the 2013 Annual Town Meeting, in particular that the roadway be deemed a permanent access road for DPW use."

Following that vote, the BoPW then voted, 4-0, to transfer the land to the Conservation Commission, again on the condition that the roadway be voted by that board a permanent DPW access road. 

Also at Monday's meeting, the board elected new leadership to serve for this term. Tom Abdella will serve as the BoPW chairman and Mike Lowery will serve as the vice chairman.