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Parks seeks funds to rehabilitate Bay Colony Rail Trail surface and drainage
Summary
Town parks officials asked the Community Preservation Committee for construction funding to repair drainage, cap the trail surface with newer stone-dust mix and improve safety on the 1.3-mile Bay Colony Rail Trail.
Edward Olson, superintendent of parks and forestry for the Town of Needham, asked the Community Preservation Committee on Jan. 22 for construction funding to rehabilitate the Bay Colony Rail Trail.
"This is to make sure that the liner is buried. We have suitable materials on top. We have a suitable compacted surface that's safe and accessible for people to use," Olson said, describing sections where original material has migrated and become loose. The path is about 1.3 miles long and roughly 10 feet wide.
Olson told the committee the trail, constructed about 10 years ago, needs drainage work, regrading and a new cap of improved stone-dust material similar to products used in nearby communities. He said the town does regular maintenance but the current request is for rehabilitation, not routine upkeep. Olson estimated the work could be accomplished quickly once contracted and suggested construction could be complete in about a year if funding and approvals move promptly.
Olson and Parks & Rec staff said the town would advertise a public bid, use in-house engineering to prepare contract documents and work with trail volunteers and the Rail Trail Advisory Committee on future connectivity with neighboring towns. No formal vote on a funding allocation was taken at the Jan. 22 meeting; the request was presented for CPC consideration and potential inclusion in the town meeting warrant.
