Streets are constructed generally under the jurisdiction of the Medway Planning Board. They begin with the intent of being a private way with a right-of-way not owned and maintained by the Town, or a public way, which has a right-of-way owned and maintained by the Town. Private ways usually service just a few homes where it is not in the owner’s nor the Town’s best interest to construct a full road. The more common construction is for a public way built by a developer to the Town’s design standards as published by the Planning Board. The Planning Board requires bonding for the roadway construction and monitors construction to ensure that a road is built to Town’s standards. Until a roadway is accepted by Town Meeting, it is considered a private way with all associated maintenance costs born by the owner(s). Click here for a list of unaccepted streets.

When a roadway is complete with no outstanding items left in its construction, the Planning Board holds a hearing to ensure that all parties agree that the road is built to standards. If no problems are identified (at least none that can not be quickly remedied), the Planning Board makes a recommendation to Town Meeting to accept the roadway. Accepted streets become Town property and Town responsibility. Click here for a list of accepted streets.  Roads that are not accepted by Town Meeting action are called “unaccepted streets.” They usually have a range of issues/problems associated with them that the developer is either working to resolve or has chosen to leave incomplete. The Planning Board may or may not have sufficient funds to complete the roadway. Every case is unique and should be discussed with the Medway Planning Board.