5 days after being approved by the Conservation Commission, James Daddario and his consultants hoped to move the project along further at the Town Planning Board meeting last night. The Taco Bell/ Wendy's is slated to occupy the old Knights of Columbus site at 505 West Central Street. While the Board was in favor of having the site redeveloped, the proposal has raised a lot of concern regarding traffic turning left into as well as turning out of the site onto 140, especially since that strip of West Central is notorious as a high traffic accident area.
The town and the developers both did a traffic measurement of the site, but the reports are conflicting, causing a temporary stall in the project. Questions over the different methods used to measure the gaps in traffic on 140 (which would determine how easily a turn into the site could be made), as well as the time of year traffic was measured and a lack of future traffic projections were not agreed upon.
The Planning Board suggested that Mr. Daddario’s traffic consultants meet with the town’s traffic consultant along with MA Highway to jointly devise a more solid plan on how to alleviate traffic concerns at the entrance to the site-whether it be restructuring the lanes or having some sort of traffic light. If they can ensure that public safety won’t be an issue, the project is likely to move forward.
Contributor - Diane Field
Franklin, MAThe town and the developers both did a traffic measurement of the site, but the reports are conflicting, causing a temporary stall in the project. Questions over the different methods used to measure the gaps in traffic on 140 (which would determine how easily a turn into the site could be made), as well as the time of year traffic was measured and a lack of future traffic projections were not agreed upon.
The Planning Board suggested that Mr. Daddario’s traffic consultants meet with the town’s traffic consultant along with MA Highway to jointly devise a more solid plan on how to alleviate traffic concerns at the entrance to the site-whether it be restructuring the lanes or having some sort of traffic light. If they can ensure that public safety won’t be an issue, the project is likely to move forward.
Contributor - Diane Field
