Erik J. Heels read the following prepared statement at the 2024-11-07 Acton Department of Public Works (DPW) Building Committee meeting. Emphasis added.
Erik Heels [SPELL NAME], 17 Forest Road, Actonian since 1995.
I continue to have several concerns about both the approved and unapproved portions of the DPW project. My concerns are in three broad categories.
1. FACTS & PHYSICS. We need to agree about facts and physics before we can move on to productive discussions about projects and priorities. In response to the Town of Acton’s “2024-09-30 Notice For Public Comments On Proposed Land Disturbance Permit” (in relation to the fuel island project), I submitted several questions to the Engineering Department. The following is my question #6 and the Engineering Department’s reply:
QUESTION 6. PDF page 3 of the 10/2 application states: “The proposed location of the fuel island is currently a wooded knoll, and the project will require a significant amount of earth removal, with the deepest cut reaching approximately 8.15 feet.” Presumably earth removal will also involve tree and shrub removal, closest to the 11 Forest Road and 13 Forest Road properties. Noting that the inverse-square law states that the intensity of both sound and light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law), and noting that the new fuel island will be significantly closer to both the 11 Forest Road and 13 Forest Road properties (and thus that the sound and light both significantly more intense), what is being done to mitigate the greatly increased sound and light pollution from 14 Forest Road?
ANSWER 6. The purpose of the Land Disturbance Permit is to review the stormwater runoff controls during and after construction to ensure it complies with the town requirements. There are light shields proposed under the fuel depot canopy. The proposed new access for the fuel depot is located on the existing driveway of the DPW facility. This project will not impact the road shoulder. Following the installation of the new fuel depot, the Tree Warden will be providing some additional native landscaping alongside the fuel depot when the contractor completes the construction. THE DESIGN IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO IMPACT ABUTTERS.
It is the final sentence that I object to. Any design that brings two things closer together impacts the intensity of the light and sound between those two things, and not just for abutters, but for all within the reach of light and sound. I have hearing loss, and the inverse square law is why I sit as far away from the organ as possible in Acton Congregational Church, at least when I am not singing in the ACC choir.
I can demonstrate the inverse-square law with this microphone. Let’s say that the sound level is at intensity level #3 when I speak about 2 feet (arm’s length) away from the microphone. When I move to one foot away (half the distance), the sound is now at intensity level #9 (3 squared).
The design of all aspects of this project impacts abutters, neighbors, all of Robbins Park, and all of Acton’s residents. The Election Day fire and smoke at the DPW is just one example of this impact. And it should be noted that Robbins Park was here long before the DPW moved to 14 Forest Road.
2. COMMUNICATION & TRANSPARENCY. The DPW has done only the bare minimum with regard to notifying the Robbins Park neighborhood about the proposed project, mailing only abutters with property within 100 feet of the DPW (as required by law). If the DPW is looking for buy-in from the Robbins Park neighborhood, then they will have to do more than the bare minimum of communication. Such as inviting ActonTV to all events like these, measuring traffic with traffic counters on Hosmer Street (not just on Forest Road), and including dates of next meetings on the DWP website page itself. When DPW workers pave, plow, or sweep the roads, I am sure that they do more than the bare minimum.
3. PEDESTRIAN & PET SAFETY. Adding sidewalks to the approximately 3000 feet of Forest Road would greatly improve safety for pedestrians and pets, yet I note that in the “Town Manager’s 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan,” sidewalks are not planned for Forest Road, one of the busiest and most dangerous roads in Acton. Sidewalks were added for the North Acton Fire Station project, sidewalks should be added for the proposed DPW project. Traffic control, such as additional stop signs and/or a right-turn-only rule for traffic entering and leaving the DPW, would also greatly improve safety for pedestrians and pets.
In summary, I want to be able to endorse this project at Acton’s 2025 Town Meeting, but only if we can agree on facts, communicate better, and ensure the safety of pedestrians and pets.
Erik Heels, 17 Forest Road. Thank you.
END
LEGAL DISCLAIMER & NOTICE: The “Sidewalks For Acton” campaign was started by and is funded by GiantPeople LLC, a single-person LLC founded in 1999 by Erik J. Heels (heels@alum.mit.edu). Erik has been an Actonian since 1995, an independent voter for 40 years, and a recent member of the MA Democratic party (joining 2024-09-11). Erik claims to publish the #1 blog about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at giantpeople.com.
