Wayland Council on Aging rejects Planning Board's 60-space parking demand

WAYLAND — April 3, 2023 — Wayland Council on Aging refuses Planning Board's 60-space parking cap, commissioning its own traffic study. Vice Chair William Sterling told the April 3 meeting the board declined a "take 60 parking spaces or leave it" demand, and that a traffic consultant's contract went out the same day with a four-to-six-week timeline that pushes the construction bid past Annual Town Meeting and likely into July. Sterling estimated the project loses $50,000 to $75,000 a month in purchasing power even with inflation cooling to 5 to 6 percent, and noted roughly $500,000 in contingency is built into the budget. Frank Kennedy said abutters left a recent PMBC review "relatively happy," though concerns persist about a curb cut on Lillian Way. The board also flagged that its 29-hour social worker is absorbing town-wide demand, and will press for a dedicated municipal social worker.