Fans want rail trail put on front burner

The Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is holding its monthly meeting in Framingham tonight with hopes of sparking interest among residents and spurring town officials to commit more fully to the project, said John Stasik, the town’s representative on the group’s board.

“Framingham has been an outlier because not much has been going on,’’ Stasik said. “The town, the Board of Selectmen, needs to make it clear to the community that this is a valued project.’’

The meeting, to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Heritage at Framingham, 747 Water St., will include a panel discussion on topics such as the business aspects of the trail, health and fitness benefits, the possible connection of the Freeman trail to other trails in the region, and the status of the northern sections of the trail, the first of which opened last year.

The Board of Selectmen’s chairwoman, Ginger Esty, said she supports the concept of the project but it is not a top priority, given the budget crisis and other pressing issues facing the town.

“We’ve been supportive of it in baby steps but there has not been a commitment because it would imply dollars that we don’t have,’’ Esty said. “If it means a commitment of money, we can’t do it.’’

Plans for the Freeman Rail Trail call for the bike path to follow the route of the old New Haven Railroad line between Framingham and Lowell, running through Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord and Sudbury.

The first phase, a 6.8-mile stretch from Lowell to Westford, has already opened, and design work is taking place for a 13.1-mile portion between Westford and Sudbury. Sudbury has taken steps to acquire land for the third phase, which is the final 4.6 miles to the trail’s terminus in Framingham.

Stasik said Framingham faces one more hurdle than other communities along the trail because its entire 3.2-mile right of way isn’t owned by a public entity but by a freight railroad line, the CSX Corp. It means more planning and more cost because the town needs to buy the land, he said. The town has paid for an appraisal of the property but the figure has not been released to the public.

Gene Kennedy, a planner with the town, said the results of the appraisal are not available because the town is in negotiations with CSX to purchase the right of way. He would not disclose the status of the negotiations other than to say the town has a strong interest in the property. He said the town’s open space plan identified the rail trail as a key acquisition because it would enhance recreational opportunities in town.

“We are behind the other communities so we are actively pursuing our piece of the puzzle,’’ Kennedy said.

The Framingham portion extends from the Sudbury line to Route 9, mostly through residential areas.

Stasik said the town does have some time because a rail trail doesn’t happen overnight, pointing out that the trail has been in the works for two decades and yet the first phase just opened last year.

But he said the Framingham phase will be eligible for state and federal funding only if the town is fully behind it.

“It does require a fairly strong and unanimous support from the town to get in the queue for governmental support,’’ Stasik said. “It is a process and we need to figure out how to get it in the hands of a public entity. I’m trying to get the town to officially determine that it’s useful and worthy and will do what’s necessary to put this right of way in the public domain.’’

Stasik said he’d also like the town to create a small working group that would advocate for the project, educate the community about the benefits, and help address any concerns.

Brett Peruzzi, a founding member of the group Nobscot Neighbors, said some residents are worried about having a rail trail in their back yards, but he sees the trail as a benefit to the neighborhood. Peruzzi said he bought his home three years ago because the property abuts the proposed trail.

“It’ll be a recreation corridor, facilitate commuting, and promote exercise,’’ he said. “I don’t see any downsides.’’

Peruzzi said he hopes the opening of the northernmost section of the trail will show residents in Framingham and Sudbury that it can be a reality with some planning and funding.

“It’s good news that it’s headed our way,’’ Peruzzi said. “It’s tough economic times but you have to take the long view. We need to have a road map in place.’’

Esty said it’s a Catch-22 because the board doesn’t want to commit to the project without the promise of helping funds, and yet it won’t receive any state or federal funding without the local commitment.

Esty said the town has too many other pending projects, including a multimillion-dollar investment in its water and sewer infrastructure, the reopening of drinking water wells, and safety improvements to the intersection of Routes 126 and 135 downtown.

“These are really big projects, and a bicycle trail just can’t jump up there,’’ Esty said.

Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.