HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-05-01 ad Hoc - Northern Area Greenway Task Force MinutesTown of Reading t IRK
Ad Hoc Northern Area Greenway Tail rcd'
Town Hall Conference Room
May 1, 2007 Minutes 1000 K ! 21 A+
Attendance: Dave Williams, Will Finch, Fred Alexander, Mark Rumizen, Joan Hoyt,
Absent: Brant Ballantyne, Frank Driscoll
Also present: Kim Honetschlager, GIS Coordinator, Bob Weggel
Special Guest: Heather Clish, Director of Trails, Appalachian Mountain Club
781-779-1258 ~617-523-0655 X380
The meeting was called to order at 7:43 PM.
NAG members introduced themselves to Heather Clish
Minutes from the April 19 meeting were amended and approved 5-0
Issues discussed:
• Meeting with Tom Brady, Brookline Conservation Commission (Kim/Bob/Joan/Fred),
viewed/discussed:
o
Boardwalks
o
Crushed stone paths
o
Construction background/info
o
Cost estimates/contracts provided
o
Halls Pond: helical boardwalk
o
Armory: boardwalk in gravel bar
o
Also saw a "double pin" system
o
Telephone pole bridge
• NW passage would need to be a helical system
o Bob described a helical system
o May have to sink 40 ft
• Heather saw a 1 mile long boardwalk over water in NY
• Will suggested speaking to Water Dept to find out what kind of base under river
• Brookline has matching funds for DCR grants
• Tom Brady had a surveyor to get elevations for all boardwalks
• Heather's comments:
o If not over standing water, can use cheaper options
o Bog bridging too rough for wheelchairs/strollers
o If standing water, recommend boardwalk
o Opportunities for volunteer involvement even with this type of boardwalk
o Discussed high-water level, floating boardwalk with helical system?
~
Tack weld to hold in place?
•
Town just funded synthetic playing fields and tennis courts for 100's thousand dollars
•
Need some sort of design to get grants
o Feasibility study
o Need design for recreational trails program grant
■ Sometimes estimates are simple
■ NAG has good start with our map
■ They like to see volunteer contributions
■ Like to see "due diligence" to ensure project will be completed
■ Need to get a contractor out there to give us an estimate
•
Some forested wetlands, use combination of boardwalk types
•
Handicap accessibility
o Stringent guidelines
o Accommodate jogging stroller or off-road wheelchair
•
What kind of logs?
o Tamarack logs or cedar or hemlock
o Telephone poles have been used
o Any wood will eventually need to be replaced
o Now using plastic lumber for posts, use wood for decking
•
Distance of wetlands drives design
o Bog bridges in trails that are seasonally wet
o Can stack logs on top of each other
o Decking for bikes
0 30 ft can use bridge span, but longer distances need boardwalk
•
Where to access NW passage
o At Town forest end, can see humucks and other topography
o Then drive to Lobs Pound site
o Get someone to give us access from Lilah Lane
•
Other boardwalks made from driving posts into ground
•
Boy Scout boardwalk design
o Cinder blocks, posts, rebar with clips
o Similar to gravel bar, but cinder blocks replace gravel
•
For trail with heavy use, can dig out soil and put different base (gravel)
o For area prone to mucky type erosion
o . Causeway type of design
•
Trails not over wetlands
o Steel 6 in - 8 in broad, 3/16 thick, as edging to hold crushed stone
o Better to dig out and refill w/ stone dust
o Fibar: Partially synthetic material for horse trails as alternative to crushed stone
•
Tom Brady: any boardwalk or trail they build they design to accommodate a wheelchair, but
don't worry about trails to get there
•
Consider whether there is demand for full accessible standard for entire boardwalk
o Does handicap accessible help with funding?
■ Accessible trail will be attractive, but more expensive
• Trade-off
• Trail is appropriate and will be used, might make sense
o Pier at on river in Zone B at river depth gage
■ Help w/ handicap accessible
•
Probably be $30K-$40K to design boardwalk
o Need to get a sense of water table
•
Heather may be able to get AMC mgrs to take a look
o Has estimate for typical boardwalk cost
o Can get estimate from friend to do a trails assessment (Peter Jensen)
■ Also an accessible trails expert
■ With Professional Trails Builder Association
■ Good information to present to Selectmen
• Good time to sell this to town
o Wellness is hot topic
o Option for sedentary people
o Also address NDD (Nature Deficiency Disorder)
o Incorporate into final presentation
• Research by Outdoors Industry, what you need to get people outdoors:
o Feeling of safety (no bears)
o Attractive place to go
o Can't get lost
• Plastic is hard to match when you need to replace
o Cedar is always the same
• Don't allow bikes on any trails in Brookline
• Cut a trail thru Zone R
o Pick best route, not necessarily existing animal route
o Watch out for too steep, erosion problem
o Trees to cut, get experienced help
o Trim brush back from trail
• 8 ft high
■ 4 ft wide or up to 8 ft if you want side-by-side
■ Natural surface trail
• Duffing it out to get below top organic layer
Probably don't need to add material
• Think about how to maintain trails in future
o Marked, keep clear
• Gary or Peter mentioned Friends & Family Day June 30
o Good time to introduce this to people of Reading
o Survey? Pinson NAG map?
• Kim to ask Peter H. if we can make final report in September?
Next meetings will be Thursdays, May 17 & May 31 at 7:30 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM. Voted 5-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Y
A
z
.
Mark Rumizen f
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