The Board of Selectmen is moving deliberately with a review of roadwork offered by developers of Legacy Place, especially changes to East Street and Rustcraft Road.
On Thursday night the board voted 3-2 to allow Legacy Place developers National Amusements and W/S Development to install a pipe carrying wires for a stoplight to the intersection of East Street and Rustcraft Road before a repaving of the area begins in coming weeks.
The vote does not authorize the stoplight, planned to help deal with an expected increase in traffic caused by the shopping, entertainment and office complex, but guarantees that if it is built, the newly reconstructed East Street will not be torn up.
Selectmen, as the town's road commissioners, must approve all street work and alterations.
"I voted to support the conduit because we are four or five years and several million dollars into work on East Street and it would be a shame to see it dug up," selectmen Chairman Carmen DelloIacono said. "The pipe is not going to do any harm even if it goes in and just sits there."
But Selectman Marie-Louise Kehoe, who voted against allowing the pipe, said that changes to East Street and Rustcraft Road should be separated from the $6 million package of street improvements included in Planning Board approval of Legacy Place.
"I was not prepared to discuss Rustcraft Road and East Street," Kehoe said. "I recognize that signalization of East Street is an important component of mitigation of Legacy Place, but feel very strongly that it should be looked at separately and not part of the whole package."
Selectman James MacDonald, who has expressed reservations about altering East Street after years of reconstruction work by both the town and state, also voted against allowing the conduit.
MacDonald said he wanted more traffic data on East Street from town consultants and would like to see a computer simulation of vehicle patterns at the intersection before making any decision.
On Thursday Legacy Place developers National Amusements and W/S Development presented an overview of the roadwork they have proposed for the town. The work includes rebuilding Enterprise Drive, redesigning the intersection of Elm Street, Washington Street and Highland Avenue, adding two turning lanes to the intersection of Eastern Avenue and East Street, modifying the intersection of Sprague Street and Cedar Street, adding a ramp from Rte. 128 North to Providence Highway and installing a computerized traffic signal system on Providence Highway.
Turning restrictions from East Street to Wentworth Street and Jersey Street and a possible cul-de-sac of Central Avenue at Rustcraft Road have also drawn close scrutiny from residents and selectmen.
The Planning Board approved a special permit for Legacy Place at the end of August after over a year of public hearings and deliberations. The permit requires the developers to complete a collection of street improvements to offset the impact of vehicles traveling to and from the complex.
Planning Board Chairman Michael Podolski told selectmen Thursday that planners had approved Legacy Place roadwork as a whole and removing any piece would substantially alter the basis for the special permit.
"The reason the board eventually approved the development was that the traffic mitigation made it work," Podolski said. "The provision stipulates that if any part of the decision is denied, they have to come back to us."
Chairman DelloIacono said discussion of Legacy Place roadwork had been limited Thursday because town traffic consultant William Steffens of McMahon Associates, who guided the Planning Board through its traffic review, could not make the meeting.
DelloIacono said the board is inviting him to its next meeting, Oct. 4, when the review will resume.
Daily News staff writer Patrick Anderson can be reached at 781-433-8336 or panderso@cnc.com.
