Westborough "Reflects" - Ideas

Lower Taxes and or make them reasonable, more payment options

As there are lot of Indian American kids around the town, cricket coaching camps during summer would be awesome!

There are some folks who coach kids but I would rather have town take this initiative to raise more awareness of the game.

Less grass - more pollinator friendly/attractive areas to our parks.

Some areas of the town parks (including, the around Sandra Pond) are now mainly grass which is costly to mow and maintain and allows no food for pollinators and birds. If we converted some areas (even small areas) of mowed grass around the parks into pollinator friendly areas (just allow native flowers and shrubs to grow and not mow them) that would save landscaping maintenance costs and promote beauty and protect pollinators. Visitors could enjoy seeing more birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds on their walks or visits to our parks.

Ideas to Make Westborough More Green

Solar canopies over parking lots. Here in Westborough the HS, Hastings and Mill Pond have lots that are not near any homes and thus would be prime candidates for these. This is also true of the big lot at the MBTA station. If not canopies (or in addition to canopies) utilize roofs in town (schools, town buildings) for solar panels. Green roofs to capture water. Making parking surfaces porous by using different surface materials that allow water through. The town should consider a "street light" diet. I live next to Armstrong and Gibbons and the buildings and parking lots are lit up year round beyond what I think is reasonable for safety. Anything that the town can do to encourage bike paths and the instillation of sidewalks will pay off in less miles driven by car and greater health on part of townspeople. Allow for on street parking Smith Parkway outside of the MBTA lot. The road is plenty wide and when the virus is over and we go back to full commuter lots over there (which often was the case) some people were unable to park and take the train and thus had to drive where they were going. Take advantage of BlackEarth now coming to town and have the school cafes' participate in composting. Make sure the towns bylaws allow for "granny flats" or in-law apartments in places like detached garages - anything to allow for greater density. While they are at it the minimum amount of acres one MUST have to put a home should be lowered to allow for greater density. Allow for waivers related to the amount of parking spaces that any new construction has to have. Often builders will want to have a lower number than the old laws dictate and that should be allowed. It encourages increased density and lowers demand for land to be paved over.

Assess & address light pollution

I would like the town to gather and evaluate information to help us understand light pollution. Some night-time light is necessary for safety, but too much unnecessary light may negatively impact human health, have detrimental ecological consequences, and may waste energy. I think we should look into it. Gillian Beamer