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Vol. 3, No. 8
November 18, 2002
Contents |
Dolan Pond News |
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Welcome to the Dolan Pond News, an email publication of Friends of Dolan Pond, a local organization that promotes the protection and preservation of the Dolan Pond Conservation Area in West Newton, MA. Please visit our website at www.dolanpond.org.
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If you have stopped by Dolan Pond lately you will have noticed a lot of changes. The following are some notes as of this past weekend (November 17, 2002).
Cumberland Path has been completely chipped. A Dolan Pond News reader, Stephanie Valley asked "I do have a question about all those woodchips on the Cumberland path and especially those leading up to the bridge. Are there going to be any wooden barriers on the side of the path that will hold the chips in place? I'm already noticing that the chips are starting to slide down the sides." According to Martha Aherin Horn, Newton's environmental planner, there has already been "a discussion with the contractor regarding the chips and they will be modified so that they won't be sliding out into the wetland."
The Dolan Pond overlook has been constructed and the Trex decking material applied. The overlook is quite usable and provides a nice unobstructed view into the actual Dolan Pond which was most often obscured by brush. Short pieces of Trex edging rail have been put down along the sides. Apparently, another continuous rail will go on top of this. With recent rain, Dolan Pond has completely filled again after our dry late summer. Initially the overlook was high and dry but currently its got water under it. Over forty Mallards were feeding there on a recent visit.
One can traverse the Cumberland Path between the two sections of Cumberland Road. The base of the steps up to Cumberland Road North are in place but not yet finished. There was some concern expressed by some residents that the step height may be too high both here and at the base of Stratford Road. The chipped path rises to meet the level of the boardwalk near the Banana Pond bridge.
The entrance off of the loop street, Webster Park, will be the main entrance to the Dolan Pond Conservation area. Shortly down the path to the right, a clear space has been prepared for two handicapped parking spaces. Currently the contractor's equipment is parked there. The path has had the brush cut back considerably and the central area near Banana Pond has been opened up. The old metal gate intended to keep vehicles out has been partially removed.
The stabilized soil path foundation has been cut out and filled with an underlayment of crushed stone. Eventually, the stabilized soil top layer will make this section wheel chair accessible. Putting down the stabilized soil layer may be one of the last steps in construction since it would not be good to have the heavy equipment go over it once it is down. The side path (which is non handicapped accessible) which branches to the rear of "Irene's Pond" and the north end of Banana Pond has been chipped. Chipping has also been done on two of the short accesses to the Banana Pond shore.
Banana Pond, due to its greater depth, still retained some water through the dry season. It has now filled and water again flows under the Banana Pond bridge. The Banana Pond bridge helical piers and wooden framing are all in place but passage across Banana Pond is blocked at this time and this connection will be closed at least until the bridge is completed.
At Auburndale Avenue, as at Webster Park and Cumberland Road, there will be information kiosks eventually. Construction seems to be working its way outward. The path down from Auburndale Avenue will be chipped. The basic structure for the steps at the end of Stratford Road is already in place. This area may serve as a classroom meeting eventually with the steps doubling as seating along with some "sitting rocks" to be installed.
There is a concrete footing in place at the junction of the stabilized soil Webster Path and the boardwalk of the Banana Pond bridge. The boardwalk from the Banana Pond Bridge toward Quinn Pond has progressed substantially. The helical piers are installed the entire length and the wood structural framing is completed as well. A small portion of the boardwalk where it meets with Cumberland Path had the Trex decking put down. Not too much had been done in the past weeks, possibly since they were waiting on obtaining more of the Trex deck material. Apparently, more was delivered late last week and the decking for the boardwalk is being installed beginning at the area near the base of Stratford Road. As of the past weekend, the contractor had put decking partially down the boardwalk past the Quinn Pond section. The brownish color ("Woodland Brown") of the Trex seems to be a nice choice for the area mirroring the dark soil color.
The elevated nature of the boardwalk was necessitated by the need to maintain a basically non-sloped surface for wheelchairs as well as keeping the surface above the often wet swampy ground level. It may necessitate trimming the trees along the path in a slightly different manner. The higher elevation has the advantage of giving a better viewing perspective into the natural area for such activities as birdwatching.
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the helical piers supporting the boardwalk needed to go down much deeper than expected (an average of 17 feet), resulting in the need for substantially more metal piers and extension sections. These were necessary but quite costly at well over $100 per piece. The cost overrun resulted in the need to scale back the project a bit. In order to help cover the immediate costs for the Dolan Pond project, the CDBG West Newton Advisory Committee, in its meeting of October 1, reallocated $30K in extra funds from another project (West Parish Burying Ground) in the current cycle which had not been started. A larger CPA (Community Preservation Act) Burying Grounds project proposal encompassing the West Parish work was submitted recently to the Newton CPA Committee.
Unfortunately, the Quinn Pond overlook platform has been eliminated. Its location was laid out last winter and over the summer, it was noted that the location chosen for it may have been too obscured by brush anyway. Near Quinn Pond, there is a wider wheelchair turnaround or passing section. Quinn Pond can still be viewed from the boardwalk and the higher elevation compensates somewhat for the distance. The boardwalk continues to the area at the foot of Stratford Road.
It is hoped that future funding for a Quinn Pond overlook in this area may be possible. Taking the long view, it may be possible to propose for a future use of West Newton area or handicapped accessibility CDBG funds in the next five year funding cycle (beginning in 2005). Another possibility would be to apply for a Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant in a future funding cycle as part of its open space mandate. This program has just begun and there are likely many projects in waiting.
It was originally hoped that completion would be done by the end of October. There is usually a bit more good weather in November before the snows come and with the materials in hand, work seems to move quickly. We will try to keep you informed as to progress on the project. Please respect the temporarily closed areas and call any problems to the attention of the City's Planning Department at 617-796-1120. Contact Dee Spiro (Community Development Planner) or Martha Aherin Horn (Senior Environmental Planner). We look forward to the completion of this model project!
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Friends of Dolan Pond is a loose organization that has a website, www.dolanpond.org and an email address, dolanpond@aol.com. If you are interested in the organization, please contact Ted Kuklinski at 617-969-6222, write to Friends of Dolan Pond, 24 Henshaw Terrace, West Newton, MA 02465, or send email. If you wish to be removed from this list, simply reply to this email with the word "remove" in the subject or body of the reply.
This newsletter is primarily published and distributed by email. If you wish to receive the newsletter or request to discontinue receiving the newsletter by email, please contact us as above. It is also posted in paper form on clipboards at the major entrances to the area. If you have any information, material, photos, poems, writings, etc. concerning Dolan Pond that you would like to share, please send them along. Please forward the email version along to anyone you know who might be interested in receiving it or ask them to send us an email to join our subscription list.
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Hope to see you at Dolan Pond soon!