RED SPRING ROAD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
September 25, 2023
To Our Neighbors around Fort Meadow,
After many decades the Morse Family decided to end their leases and sell the property along Red Spring Rd. We were fortunate to organize our neighbors and buy the property. It could have been bought by condo developers or home builders as there was interest from them. That would have changed the character of this side of the lake forever. Many of us had parents who owned cottages here and we get to carry on that tradition to our families. We are truly fortunate.
We write today in the interest of transparency and to ask for your help as we want to preserve the rural nature of this side of Fort Meadow and protect the watershed. We thought it important to share with you where we have been and where we think we will be going in the future towards those shared goals.
Immediately after the real estate closing our board voted to put in a sewer force main and provided funding for e one grinder pump technology for upgrades to our septic systems. What that means is that we will now be connected to Marlborough’s sewer and end years of failing septic systems on Fort Meadow. We did this at great expense to the homeowners and at no cost to the City of Marlborough.
We voted to keep the rural nature of Red Spring Rd. the open spaces and dirt road. This will provide protection from Nonpoint sources of pollution caused by runoff to Fort Meadow Reservoir. What that means is we will maintain Red Spring Rd. ourselves! At our expense. We will pay for culvert improvements, plowing, sanding, grading and maintenance of the road.There will not be a paved road with sidewalks and street lights.
Along with the City we will pursue open space grants to preserve the natural beauty of this side of the lake. Preserving the natural community that has existed for decades. To that end, we have asked the City to put the Common Area, the bulk of the 50 acres that do not have homes on it, into the City”s Open Space Plan, due out soon.
We have implemented a ban on the use of fertilizer within 100 feet of the lake and encourage pollinator plants and lakeshore plantings.
We have delineated all of our wetlands so that we can protect this resource and the biodiversity it holds. We did this at our cost hiring wetland scientists and surveyors. Finally, we put in place, through our Rules and Regulations, a dwelling size of up to 3,000 square feet, height restriction of 38.5 feet, same as the City, lot coverage of only 25% and natural colors and wood or vinyl siding for building exteriors. We did this because we want to discourage mega mansions from being built on this side of the lake. Once again in keeping with the rural nature of Red Spring Rd.
We would like the ability to build decks, patios, sheds and garages for our vehicles ,boats, tools etc. as our neighbors have done but we need approval from the City to do that. That is why next Monday Oct.2nd we are asking the City Council for an overlay district that will bring us into compliance with the underlying A2 zone.
So what does that mean? Currently if our neighbors want to do a deck, patio, shed etc they go to the City”s Building Dept and if there are wetland issues the Conservation Committee. Because we are a nonconforming preexisting use and formed a Condo Assoc we need to go to the Council every time we want a patio, shed, deck, garage etc. All we are asking for is the same treatment that the rest of our neighbors receive when asking for a permit in the A2 zone.
We have been moved to write this email because there has been some misunderstanding as to what will occur on this side of the lake. We should not be confused with the Boston Scientific proposed overlay which could ruin our watershed with 300 proposed housing units at our headwaters. We are the exact opposite. We will be protecting the Fort Meadow watershed, the City of Marlborough and Hudson’s Crown Jewel when it comes to our natural heritage by not developing our 50 acres.
We hope you can support us in our efforts as we move forward to protect this watershed for us, our neighbors and future generations.
On behalf of the Board of The Red Spring Rd Homeowners Assoc. Thank you for listening and if you have any questions or would like to support our efforts please contact me at 39redspring@gmail.com. Or call 774-249-8198.
Best,
Bob Durand, PresidentRed Spring Rd. Homeowners Association 39 Red Spring Rd.Marlborough, Ma 01752