[Adopted 6-24-2000 STM (Ch. 10, § 10-6, of the General Bylaws)]
This bylaw is adopted under authority of MGL c. 40, § 15C. The purpose of the scenic roads bylaw is to protect the scenic qualities of a road which is being repaired, maintained, reconstructed or paved. If none of these activities are taking place, then the scenic roads bylaw does not apply.
As specified by Special Legislation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a joint committee of four members from the Groveland Road Study Committee, appointed by the Road Study Committee, and the three members of the Board of Selectmen shall constitute the administering authority for the Scenic Roads Bylaw.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Acts of 2002, Ch. 1, An Act Authorizing the Town of Groveland to Establish a Scenic Roads Administering Authority.
A. 
The Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, the Conservation Commission or the Historical Commission may recommend or request a road for scenic road designation by submitting a warrant article for approval at the Annual Town Meeting. The Annual Town Meeting must then vote to designate the road as a scenic road by majority vote. A state highway may not be designated as a scenic road. A numbered route may be so designated only if its entire length is contained within the Town and no part of the route is owned or maintained by the commonwealth (MGL c. 40, § 15C).
B. 
In determining which roads or portions of roads should be recommended to Annual Town Meeting for designation as a scenic road, the following criteria shall be considered: overall scenic beauty; contribution of trees to scenic beauty; scenic views; historic stone walls; built features, including historic buildings, monuments, burial grounds, farm buildings and fencing; and age and historic significance of roads, trees and stone walls. Roads that have previously been designated as scenic roads may be re-evaluated using the foregoing criteria, and have the scenic road designation removed by majority vote at Annual Town Meeting.
Once a road is designated as a scenic road, any repair, maintenance or paving work with respect to the road may not include cutting or removal of trees or tearing down or destruction of stone walls except with the prior written consent of the administering authority. The administering authority must first hold a public hearing within 30 days of receiving the request for consent for such work, duly advertised twice in a newspaper of general circulation, the last advertisement at least seven days prior to the hearing date. If the contemplated road work includes the cutting of public shade trees, the authorizing committee's hearing under the scenic roads statute shall be combined with the Tree Warden's public shade tree hearing.
The administering authority, and the Tree Warden, if required, shall make a decision to authorize or deny the work request within 14 days of the public hearing, unless a longer time is agreed to by the applicant for the work. The administering authority, and the Tree Warden, if required, shall submit their decision in writing to the applicant and to the Town Clerk. Any consent granted must be implemented within two years of issue or it will become null and void and must be re-applied for.