Plan to Consider Common Upgrades

The Historic Commission wants to develop a master plan to look at long-range improvements to the Common.

These changes could include pedestrian and traffic safety improvements, reconfiguration of traffic to better support businesses and institutions, adding green space and making landscape enhancements.

This work is a multi-phase process that would likely take many years to implement, Historic Commission chairman John Morgan told selectmen tonight.

The commission has applied to the Community Preservation Committee and the Massachusetts Historical Commission in an effort to secure funding for the plan. The work would incorporate engineering already done by Graves Engineering.

Town Meeting voters will be asked at the October meeting whether to spend $13,500 to make changes to the roadway in front of portions of the Grafton Common.

The money would cover the cost of realigning sidewalks and adding a 200-foot by 5-foot green space in front of 2-8 and 10 Grafton Common.

These moves would be made to ease safety issues for drivers and pedestrians.

There has been discussion about whether to move or remove the traffic dummy from the Common, but no decisions have been made yet on that issue.