Route 20 South Landfill Visioning Committee

Members Contact: rt20slandfillmembers@wayland.ma.us


On October 19, 2020 the Board of Selectmen (“Board”) established a temporary advisory committee to be known as the Route 20 South Landfill Visioning Committee (“RSLVC”) in order to assist the Board with studying the disposition and use of Town-owned land (“South Landfill parcels”) located on Route 20, also known as Boston Post Road,  across the street from the current Wayland Transfer Station.

More specifically, the subject land has the following site considerations:

  1. It is located on Boston Post Road (Route 20), a main east-west state road, near the Wayland-Sudbury border;
  2. One parcel is triangular shaped and is comprised of 10.65 acres (Parcel # 22-001) taken, years ago, by eminent domain “for a refuse disposal area or dump;” its formal address is 471 Boston Post Road; the second parcel, at 473 Boston Post Road, is comprised of 5.9 acres (Parcel 22-002), and was taken for “Town dump purposes;”
  3. Portions of the parcel are relatively flat;
  4. There is existing access from Boston Post Road (Route 20);
  5. Utilities are available via connections from Boston Post Road (Route 20);
  6. The Sudbury River and wetlands are on the eastern end of the parcels;
  7. The landfill was capped and closed under the oversight of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering (predecessor of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection).
  8. The land is part of or near the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge.

The committee shall be comprised of eight (8) voting members, designated by the following committees and organizations and appointed by the Board of Selectmen:

  • A member to be designated by the Conservation Commission;
  • A member to be designated by the Economic Development Committee;
  • A member to be designated by the Recreation Commission;
  • A member to be designated by the Planning Board;
  • A member to be designated by the Board of Public Works;
  • A member to be designated by the School Committee;

and two (2) members also to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen; one of whom shall be a member of the Board of Selectmen and chair of the committee, and another member to be chosen from among interested residents having experience in at least one of the following disciplines:  civil engineering; landscape architecture; land planning; real estate development; or project financing or management. 

On April 10, 2023, the Select Board Voted to extend the terms of the committee to November 1, 2025  . A Town staff member, appointed by the Town Administrator, shall be appointed to be a liaison to the committee.


The following tasks are delegated to the committee:

  • Verify the current custodial board(s) of the parcels;
  • Pace its work consistent with related Town staff work relative to use of the parcels;
  • Review the feasibility of disposition and use of the South Landfill parcels for various uses including, but not limited to, a Department of Public Works lay down area, construction for open space preservation, affordable housing, passive recreation, septic treatment for any new structures on the land, school bus parking, and renewable energy;
  • Identify other conditions that may influence the preferred plan, including capital improvement, infrastructure development, phasing opportunities, and maintenance;
  • Recommend new feasibility studies, if needed, to determine the extent of potential disposition and uses of the South Landfill parcels and review any completed feasibility studies regarding the parcels;
  • Report in writing on the advisory committee’s recommendations for the best use or combination of uses of the municipal land, and in what proportion; the  recommendations shall take into account impacts on the Sudbury River, the surrounding watershed, public access to the impending rail trail extension, public health considerations, nearby residential areas, and community preferences for disposition or use of the property;
  • Consideration may be given to opportunities for public/private partnerships, if applicable.   

Staff Contacts