Come to the Public Meeting on 12/16!

Next Monday, 12/16/24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Palmer Public Library, MassDOT and its consultant VHB will make public their “Level 2 Comparative Evaluation” of potential sites for the future Palmer passenger rail platform.

“Attendees will be asked to provide feedback on the site alternatives and design considerations.”

Six Potential Sites

Based on an October draft of the Level 2 Evaluation, these are the six remaining potential sites:

Site A: East of Crane Hill Road (Wilbraham)
Site F: Palmer Department of Public Works Lot
Site B: South of Palmer Yard
Site I: North of Palmer Yard
Site C: US-20, East of Nipmuck Street (South of Track)
Site D: Boston Road (South of Track)

This draft slide from October maps the locations of these sites —

Map showing six potential Palmer Station sites. From DRAFT slide prepared by MassDOT and VHB for Municipal Stakeholder Workshop, 10/29/24, part of Palmer Station Planning + Design project.

Historic Station Site

Earlier in the process, MassDOT and VHB eliminated several other potential sites based on a Level 1 “Fatal Flaw Screening.” See Level 1: Operational Compatibility for a brief summary of the criteria used in the Level 1 screening.

The historic station location was eliminated as a potential site because it did not “meet Track Geometry and [Right of Way] Limits criterion” because there is “Insufficient horizontal clearance to accommodate a station siding track and platform immediately adjacent to the historic depot without impacting the historic building, or without impacting private properties located along South Main Street.”

DRAFT slide showing “Level 1 Screening, Site H: Historic Location.” From slideshow prepared by MassDOT and VHB for Municipal Stakeholder Workshop, 6/20/24, part of Palmer Station Planning + Design project. “Draft for Discussion & Policy Purposes Only.”

Remaining Downtown Site

Site F, the DPW location, is the remaining potential site closest to the junction of the east-west Inland Route and north-south Central Corridor Line tracks, next to the Depot Village business district along Main Street.

DRAFT slide showing “Level 2 Evaluation, Site F: Palmer Department of Public Works Lot.” From slideshow prepared by MassDOT and VHB for Municipal Stakeholder Workshop, 10/29/24, part of Palmer Station Planning + Design project. “Draft for Discussion & Policy Purposes Only.”

East Side of Downtown: Two Sites

Two of the remaining potential sites are less than a mile east of the Main Street central business district:

Site B, “South of Palmer Yard,” would be on part of the South Main Street lot owned by Sanderson MacLeod.

DRAFT slide showing “Level 2 Evaluation, Site B: South of Palmer Yard.” From slideshow prepared by MassDOT and VHB for Municipal Stakeholder Workshop, 10/29/24, part of Palmer Station Planning + Design project. “Draft for Discussion & Policy Purposes Only.”

Site I, “North of Palmer Yard,” would be on two Park Street properties which are currently home to Chacon Trucking and Rick’s Parkside Drive-In.

DRAFT slide showing “Level 2 Evaluation, Site I: North of Palmer Yard.” From slideshow prepared by MassDOT and VHB for Municipal Stakeholder Workshop, 10/29/24, part of Palmer Station Planning + Design project. “Draft for Discussion & Policy Purposes Only.”

Please come to the meeting!

Next Monday will be the first opportunity for everyone to give MassDOT feedback about the potential station sites. Andy Koziol, MassDOT’s West-East Rail Director, also invites individuals unable to attend to email him with questions and comments: andrew.m.koziol@dot.state.ma.us

In the event that you cannot come to the meeting, MassDOT will share the meeting presentation via its website as soon as possible afterwards — we will link to this when available.

M-PACT TV, the Monson and Palmer cable access channel, will make a video recording of the meeting and share it on M-PACT’s website and Youtube channel — we will also link to this when available.

Six Potential Station Sites