Erik J. Heels read the following prepared statement at the 2025-02-03 Acton Select Board meeting. Emphasis added.
Hello, Erik, E-R-I-K, Heels, H-E-E-L-S, 17 Forest Road.
First, our Change.org petition (Build Sidewalks On Forest Road For A Safer Acton (MA 01720)) now has 327 supporters.
Second, following the model of the moderated meeting between the Acton Select Board and Finance Committee on Friday night (Jan 31, 2025), we the pro-SAFETY Acton voters are ZERO OUT OF TEN on the DPW project without sidewalks. 2025 may not be the year for the DPW building project to be approved by voters, but you will only have our support with a WIN-WIN, holistic approach to SAFETY in Acton, one that improves SAFETY for all of Acton by rebuilding the DPW facility AND providing for long-overdue SAFETY of the DPW neighbors by building sidewalks. The INHERENT DANGER of an industrial operation in a residential neighborhood has greatly increased since 1969.
Third and finally, I note that I attended the scheduled Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Zoom on Jan 22, 2025, but nobody from TAC was on the Zoom. After the fact, I learned that sidewalks on Forest Road had been added to the TAC agenda, which I appreciate. But just as there were extenuating circumstances that pushed sidewalks for the neighbors of the North Acton Fire Station to the “top of the list” (namely, the construction of the North Acton Fire Station), the DPW project is an extenuating circumstance that should push sidewalks for the DPW neighbors to the top of the list (as should have been done 55 years ago). And it is THIS board, the Acton Select Board, that has the authority to make that happen.
Erik Heels, 17 Forest Road, Actonian since 1995.
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.
