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Dear Sudbury Planning Board and Historical Commission members,
The Sudbury Planning Board’s stated mission is to guide future growth and development in accordance with the community’s vision, as outlined in the Sudbury Master Plan. The master plan involves “protecting and enhancing the town’s character and protecting important historical and natural resources,” in light of which, as a 40-year 46 Lincoln Lane resident and former member of the Town of Sudbury Personnel Board, I am reaching out to you with a plea to help save one of our important historic artifacts.
Please help preserve Sherman’s Bridge’s 300-plus-year character as a wooden structure. Although the bridge has been expanded, it has been preserved as a wooden bridge by the plethora of previous DPW directors, over three centuries.
At the public forum Thursday, this week a DPW-sponsored representative posited his belief that the 1992 re-design removed its Historic status.
If that were true then most historic houses, historical district sites and historic wooden bridges’ Historic status could be jeopardized by additions.
Without a review and determination by Sudbury’s Historical commission, and likewise, by the the Planning Board, how can anyone legally determine whether Sherman’s bridge should be preserved as 300-year structural “wood deck” bridge—or not?
The Sherman’s Bridge site is featured on the cover of the 2006 State of Massachusetts Heritage Reconnaissance Report (along with the Sudbury Town cemetery and the Mill on Carding Pond Road.) Please note furthermore that the structure is listed as a “heritage” feature and spelled out as a “Wood Deck Bridge” on page 32 of the heritage report.
As many citizen’s in town are aware, Thoreau referenced the historic bridge and the stone footings that still help support it, in one of his journals over 100 years ago.
It was posited at the forum that the D.O.T. willingness to provide funds, depends upon the two towns agreeing to destroy its historic nature by paving it over and adding metal railings. Other sources of funding may be researched. The existing bridge was built with financial help from federal funding set aside for the preservation and reconstruction of wooden bridges, in 1992. Please ask the DPW to research similar funding.
I have attached below an October 10, 2025 letter to the Wayland Planning Board from my neighbor (and Wayland resident) Doug Stotz, containing added information that may pertain to Sudbury. Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely yours,
Karen Paradise
Mr Stotz writes:
“As you know, the Planning Board stands for the following guiding values that make Wayland a special place to live:
- Semi-Rural Character;
- Public School Excellence;
- Quality Public and Senior Services Excellence;
- Protected Environmental Resources;
- Strong Cultural and Recreational Resources
And the Planning Board is also charged with the enforcement of Wayland’s Scenic Road Bylaw, to “maintain the rural, natural, historic and scenic character of the town’s roads”
I’ve checked the guiding values above that are threatened by the current short-sighted proposal of the Wayland and Sudbury DPWs to destroy the historical appearance, authenticity, and charm of Sherman’s Bridge by paving it with at least 34 tons of asphalt and festooning it – and its approaches – with steel guardrails.
I urge the Planning Board to send a letter to both the Board of Public Works and the Select Board. Ask them to pause the current process and instead institute a more collaborative and inclusive process including broad community participation to arrive at a solution that works better for all stakeholders.
Sherman’s Bridge Road – and the bridge to its exact middle – are covered by Wayland’s Scenic Road Bylaw.
Your intervention in this matter will be fully in keeping with the spirit and intent of that Bylaw.
Respectfully,
Doug Stotz