Hello Community Members -

Just a brief note wishing all of you a happy Fourth of July weekend! A lot of stuff has been going on and we have a lot of great events coming up, so I hope you get a chance to read through all of this week's information. Stay safe!

-Michael Herbert

Town Manager

This past Wednesday, June 29th, the Select Board and I hosted an open forum for the community to discuss the Valentine Property.

The presentation began with a quick history of the property including how the property became an entity of the town. Since the Town purchased the Valentine Estate, the site has been cleared, the house and barn cleaned out, both chimneys were repaired, the barn was cabled to protect the structure, the property had soil testing, and bids for work were published.

The presentation continued with Scott Lubell of the Valentine Committee discussing their role and involvement with the property. They informed community members of other historical properties to use as inspiration for the Valentine Estate, including Natick's Organic Community Farm, Medway's Thayer Homestead, Holliston's Asa Whiting Historical House and Barn, and Weston's Josiah Smith Tavern. The committee also discussed the Request For Proposal initially created and published for this property.

Select Board Chair, Brandi Kinsman, then discussed the restrictions to the property, including the Historical, Conservation and Article 97 restriction, which impacts the future of the property.

The end of the presentation discussed the potential for the property and proposed the question, "What's next?" Current monetary resources such as American Rescue Plan Act Funds and Community Preservation Act funds were discussed as well as the constraints those funds are under. The conversation continued to discuss the much-needed roof repairs and the condition of the property as a whole.

Kate Valentine's (a relative of the family) conceptual plan was highlighted as a suitable fit for the property and adhered to the conditions of the property legally and physically.

The forum concluded with questions and comments from community members attending. Most in the room favored moving forward with fixing the roof and foundation despite the cost. I have proposed moving forward with developing a master plan of the property based on Kate Valentine's concept plan. Some community members attending favored going in that direction while others did not.

In conclusion, the "takeaways" from this presentation are to 1- receive the bids for the roof, and foundation repairs, 2- review and comment on Kate Valentine's conceptual plan that is now published on our webpage 3- discuss the next steps in another forum.

I welcome feedback on the conceptual plan and the Valentine Estate. Please email our Communications Coordinator, Ashley, aplace@ashlandmass.com.

Watch the forum here.

Since the Town acquired the old Cadilac Paint Property Site in 2017, we've worked hard to remediate the property transforming the old contaminated area into a safe green space.

Recently, the property was cleaned up, and fencing was moved. Now, the property at the location of Eliot Street and Nancy Drive is one step closer to becoming a public park. Currently, we are in the process of designing and engineering a public park. An existing conditions plan has been developed to assist us in the permitting process.

Despite these actions, we still need your help! Please tell your neighbors to keep this area clean. This area is a "no dumping" area. We have worked hard to remove contaminants at the site and replace them with clean soil. Cameras have been installed in the area, and signs are posted.

Expected timeline:

Summary of the full-depth/paving work completed so far: Crews have paved 6,000 ft on Rt. 126, completing the stretch from Higgins Tree Farm- Nickerson Road and the stretch from Spyglass Hill Drive to the Holliston Town Line.

What to expect June 29th- July 1st: Crews will prep for full-depth construction from Eliot Street towards Nickerson Road. The area will be cleaned up and open for travel for the holiday weekend.

What to expect the week of July 5th: Crews will mill the stretch from Eliot Street to Nickerson Road between July 5th - 8th. Fine grading and paving will occur on July 11th and 12th in this stretch. No night work is currently scheduled.  

What to expect this summer: Crews will complete the stretch from Eliot Street to Nickerson Road in the next two months, leaving the 1,000 ft left from Higgins Tree Farm to the Framingham Town line and the intersection at Eliot Street. Once this full-depth work is completed, the sidewalk work will begin.

For more information, visit our website here.

Reminder, all municipal offices will be closed on Monday, July 4th for Independence Day.

Also, keep in mind that the trash & recycling schedule will NOT be affected by the Independence Day holiday on Monday, July 4th. Please have your trash & recycling out at curbside by 7am on your regularly scheduled collection day following the Independence Day holiday.

The Inspection Services Department updated the permit fees associated with building, electrical, plumbing and gas. This new fee schedule will be implemented on July 1st, 2022.

Click here

Read the digital version here

Massachusetts voters now have the option to vote early by mail in all elections, with no excuse required. To request your Vote by Mail ballot, all you have to do is submit a signed application to the Town Clerk’s Office.

For the Fall Elections, Vote by Mail applications will be mailed in July and September to every voter who has not already requested a mail-in ballot. These applications will be pre-addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office and postage pre-paid.

Applications can be submitted by mail, email, fax, or placed in the ballot drop box located outside of Town Hall. If you are emailing your application, you need to sign it in a way that can be compared to your hand-written signature. Electronic signatures, scanned applications, and photos of applications are accepted. Typed signatures cannot be accepted.

All early voting in-person will be held at Town Hall, 101 Main Street.

In-Person Early Voting will take place from August 27th to September 2nd

Hours are to be announced

In-Person Early Voting will take place from October 22 nd to November 4th

Hours are to be announced

Keep in mind, that you may still vote the “Old Fashioned Way” and go to your polling place on Election Day and cast your ballot in person!

Visit the Town of Ashland Website Calendar for committee meetings and agendas

Visit the Town of Ashland Event Calendar for upcoming events

Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing 89-93 Cordaville Special Permit and 90 Waverly Variance

Planning Board: 40 Summer Street Special permit Modification Meeting

July is a new month to enjoy the #bestspotintown!

Join us for Shop on the Spot, Open Mic Night, and more!

SAVE THE DATE FOR CULTUREFEST!

Saturday, July 23rd from 12- 4 pm

Visit our webpage for upcoming events, here!

Bring a chair and a picnic dinner and enjoy the sweet sounds of summer with this concert series presented by our Ashland Day Committee!

7:00pm June 28th- Tune Timers

7:00pm July 12th- TBA

7:00pm July 19th- Back Pages

7:00pm July 26th- Flash Back Band

6:30pm August 2nd- Community High School Concert Band

6:30pm August 9th- Rail Road House

6:30pm August 16th- TBA

6:30pm August 23th- Groove-A-Saurus Rex