Wayland Historical Commission votes to defend Sherman's Bridge character

WAYLAND -- November 17, 2025, Wayland Historical Commission unanimously backs preserving Sherman's Bridge character as chair announces departure. The commission voted 6-0 Monday to send a letter to the Wayland and Sudbury DPWs, Sudbury Valley Trustees and Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge urging that any reconstruction "maintain the historic character" of the bridge and site, after resident Doug Stott challenged a DPW plan to install $325,000 in state-supplied glulam decking and extended steel approach guardrails. Stott said native hemlock decking would cost roughly $27,000. Chair Gretchen Schuler said the Dec. 3 meeting will be her last after nearly 10 years; member Amanda Ciaccio also announced she will step down at year's end. The commission separately endorsed a roughly $55,000 CPA request to stabilize a Historical Society building 5-0, with Schuler abstaining, and confirmed it mutually terminated its cemetery restoration contract with Epic Preservation, which finished 69 percent of Priority 1 stones.