Select Board OKs land takings for Main Street Improvement Project

Improvements to Main Street in South Grafton are set to go forward after the Select Board on Tuesday voted in favor of taking 225 easements for the project.

The various parcels are fairly small in size and are required to improve drainage and widen the street to include sidewalks and a bike lane, accommodations in line with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and add landscaping.

“There hasn’t been a lot of negative comments, just some confusion,” Department of Public Works Director Paul Cournoyer said.

Among those confused: a woman who called into the Select Board Zoom session who had received word of the project just this week. Her family only recently closed on the property. She was advised to contact Cournoyer.

St. James Church also complained about the potential affect on parking.

The project is approximately 2.05 miles in length from the Sutton line to Providence Road. The planned improvements to Main Street will enhance and improve access to the three historical mill villages within South Grafton and support opportunities for economic development along the corridor. 

The project has been in the works since 2016 and will be paid for by Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Federal Highway grant funding.