Landfill committee moves to hire designer for Route 20 reuse concepts

WAYLAND — November 9, 2023 — Wayland landfill committee moves to hire landscape designers before going to the public. The Route 20 South Landfill Visioning Committee voted unanimously Thursday to invite a Boston-based landscape firm — referenced by member Clifford Lewis as the team behind the Neponset River Greenway in Dorchester — to its next meeting to scope conceptual sketches for under $10,000. DPW Director Tom Holder said existing appropriated funds cover the work: "I was waiting for the opportunity to mention it." Holder also reported MassDEP approved the town's cap repair plan Oct. 19, with Conservation Commission action expected Nov. 29. Former Acton natural resources director Tom Tidman, whose 40-acre NARA Park came in at $2 million against a $5 million estimate thanks to 200,000 cubic yards of gravel sold to the Big Dig, agreed to produce scale drawings. Member Erin Gibbons pushed to keep school bus parking on the 17-use list despite Chair Thomas Fay's skepticism: "Unless we have to, let's not do it."