Several potential October Town Meeting warrant articles from the Capital Planning Committee and the Community Preservation Committee were discussed at the September 6 Financial Committee meeting. Here is a preview of a few of the significant items that may be up for vote. None of these items are finalized.

Faunce Corner Road Phase III Engineering

This money would fund an engineering study on Faunce Corner Road, stretching north from the railroad tracks (just after the State Police barracks) to Old Fall River Road, including the intersection with Old Fall River Road. The $250,000 would be a redirection of money the town had previously voted to use to fund the Tucker Road realignment project. The road would likely be widened and improved to match the previous work on Faunce Corner Road.

Neighborhood Road Reconstruction

The Highway Division of the Department of Public Works is requesting $1,000,000 for the routine maintenance and improvement of Dartmouth’s 225 miles of roads. In addition, the DPW is requesting a total of $539,000 to reconstruct four roads in Bliss Corner: Richard Street, Norwell Street, Osbourne Street, and Frank Street. David Hickox, the Director of Public Works, said that the goal of the DPW is always to “keep good roads good.” However, some roads need more work than others-- especially in neighborhoods. The department hopes to begin this work in Bliss Corner, where the need for road work is the greatest, and then work its way through the town.

High Hill Road Greenway Link

The town’s Conservation Commission is requesting $400,000 of the Community Preservation Unrestricted Fund to be used to purchase a 58 acre parcel of land on High Hill Road. This land is significant not only for its intrinsic value as a reserve and site for walking and hiking trails, but because of its location. The land sits adjacent to several other preserved open sites, and is right across the street from the Acushnet Cedar Swamp Reservation. If purchased, this parcel of land would link to many others, and could one day be part of longer hiking trails, or perhaps even a bike path.

Mendes-Monteiro House Project

This request for a total of $500,000 from the Community Preservation Unrestricted Fund would go to eight new affordable housing units for people over the age of 55 who are receiving services from the Department of Mental Health. The project would be built at 2 Anderson Way on property currently owned by the Dartmouth Housing Authority. After it is built, the project would be self-supporting. It is estimated that the town would only be paying about 14 percent of the cost of this project, while the rest would be paid for by the state and other sources.