Sudbury CPC sets three hearings to weigh 13 funding requests

SUDBURY — November 2, 2022 — Sudbury CPC confronts $3.1 million in applications against a $1.7 million budget. Chair Sherrill P. Cline led the Nov. 2 committee through a preliminary review of 13 applications and set public hearings for Nov. 16, Dec. 7 and Dec. 21, with applicants limited to "five to seven minutes" of presentation, no more than 10. Planning Director Adam Duchesneau told the committee the $300,000 Bruce Freeman Rail Trail extension request may not be needed if the task force pursues the state TIP or another Mass Trails grant, but said the project will "stay in the queue." Member Mara Nichols flagged a roughly $250,000 cost jump on the Feeley Field phase two ask and called the girls' softball project "an equity issue." Member Kirsten Roopenian warned the CPC has a gatekeeping role: "It's not fair to the applicant or the town meeting to approve something that's just not going to work." The committee identified $30,624 in unspent prior allocations to revert, including $25,059.40 from the Nixon playground article.