Shrewsbury Select Board warns road decline will worsen without new funding beyond Chapter 90

SHREWSBURY — March 10, 2026 — Shrewsbury's Select Board heard a stark assessment of declining roads and celebrated a record-setting $2.7 million federal recycling grant at its March 10 meeting. Town Engineer Justin Richardson, two months into his post, reported the town's Pavement Condition Index fell from 55.6 in 2021 to 53 in 2024 and said Chapter 90 state funding — projected at roughly $1.4 million annually — is insufficient to reverse the trend, telling the board "the projection is downward, unfortunately." Town Manager Kevin Vivicar said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recycling grant is the largest awarded to any Massachusetts municipality and will fund a new South Street drop-off recycling center, curbside food-waste composting for all residents, and cart-based trash collection, with the recycling center opening expected in 2029. The board reviewed a first draft of the May 18 Annual Town Meeting warrant built around roughly $11.2 million in available free cash, with potential additional appropriations of $500,000 for roads, $300,000 for a town hall campus driveway reconfiguration, and $40,000 to demolish the former Empire Dry Cleaners at 15 Maple Avenue. The board also moved toward a formal naming policy before acting on a resident request to honor the late Parks and Recreation employee Dawn Shannon by renaming the recreation building near Dean Park.