By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
3/20/08
Although a plan to upgrade the trail around Turners Pond for people with handicaps is near final approval, concerns from residents has forced officials to defend it.
The proposed new path—paid for by a $50,000 state grant and an anonymous foundation donation of more than $200,000—would follow the current path and would retain the natural setting, according to Peter Jackson, the project’s designer and member of the Planning Board. Jackson began work on the project before taking office.
The Park Commissioners approved the project last year. It is now in the final hearing stage for Conservation Commission approval—necessary because of its proximity to wetlands—and is scheduled for construction this summer.
Portions of the current path are frequently water-soaked and the upgrade will address ongoing drainage issues.
The improved path would be approximately four-feet wide. The section near Central Avenue and Brook Road would be made of crushed gravel and the remainder would be covered by stone-dust. The surface will be solid enough for wheelchairs and baby carriages, according to Park Commissioner Barbara Brown.
Brown says a recent site walk of the area with park commissioners and the Conservation Commission was disrupted by some neighbors, who say they were unaware of the project until recently and expressed concerns about it. A number of homes on Central Avenue and Brook Road abut the path.
Brown says there was a public hearing for the project in 2006.
“It got a little bit rambunctious,” she says. “They’re concerned about cleanliness and the amount of people using the pathway.”
Brown does not believe the new trail will increase traffic at the park, which is frequently used by students walking to the Glover School and dog-walkers. She says it will require no more maintenance than parks department employees handle now.
“We’re just trying to make it safer and more accessible for more people,” she says. “It will enhance, not detract from the natural surroundings. We’re hoping we can come to a consensus that it’s a good project. I do think it’s a plus for the town.”
A meeting with neighbors will be held soon to address concerns. The Conservation Commission will deal with environmental regulations at its Monday, April 7, meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the senior center, 10 Walnut St.