Today’s Boston Globe reports that the State Dept of Environmental Protection has approved a scaled back plan to build a floating boardwalk on Hammond Pond.
In 2010, a local family originally pledge a $1,000,000 donation to build the 1372 foot long boardwalk as a memorial to their son Mikhail Rudyak. Mikhail loved the pond and often walked in the adjoining woods. Since the original proposal, there has been quite a bit of push back from neighbors who objected to the plan. The scaled back plan that was just approved is roughly half the length at 537 feet.
The rocky road this project has taken has almost accidentally ended up with a project that should do a lot of good for Hammond Pond. Previous to the Rudyak’s proposal, Hammond Pond received very little attention. The condition of the pond had been slowly deteriorating in recent years and a major construction project was being built next door (i.e. “The Street”). Once the Rudyak proposal was put on the table, opponents began raising issues about the quality of the water and other environmental issues. All of this had the effect of waking people up to conditions at the pond.
In the end, it’s all good. Public access to this public park land will be improved with a scaled back boardwalk and improved path. $150,000 has been authorized in the state budget for to deal with the explosion of aquatic plant growth due to nearby storm water runoff. Various details in the development of the adjacent development of “”The Street”have been tweaked to lessen the impact on the pond.
I’m grateful to the Rudyak family for their generous donation and imaginative idea. While some citizens were clearly not happy with the Rudyak plan from the start. It did start the ball rolling on a number of related issues that even the opponents should be happy about. As Aldermen Ruth Ann Fuller says in the article “the Rudyak’s plan became an unintended catalyst for efforts to clean the murky waterway.”.
Well Jerry, your love letter with personal thanks and a declaration that “in the end, it’s all good” has pretty much said it all, hasn’t it? No need for blog comments, we can all just move on.
Your timing is good: I hear the Patriots are having cheerleader tryouts today.
@Terry Malloy As always, it’s just one blogger’s opinion – mine. But yeah I’m happy to cheerlead for the combination of boardwalk for public access and cleanup funds for the pond.
I’ll pass on the Patriots tryouts though.
This is a wonderful project and I’m glad it was finally approved. I’m very appreciative of the Rudyak family’s generosity. They deserve a medal for perseverance, sticking with this proposal for years after the City initially bungled their million dollar gift.
Here’s an updated history of this proposal http://newtonconservators.org/hammondproposal.htm The rendering does look quite a bit different than the original. There is a hand rail (on one side) and areas to sit. I’m not a fan of changing nature for the entertainment of us invaders, but if this proposal has legs I’d be very concerned about a short 10 year endowment. Certainly the dock-like structure will reasonably fine for ten years, what about 30 or 50? All of the prior concerns, safety and vandalism are also a concern. In Upper Falls we have Echo Bridge and the amount of graffiti and frequency of this vandalism would be totally unmanageable if not for the MWRA (they clear graffiti regularly). What a mess that dock-bridge would be if a vandal lit a fire.
Lastly I can’t help but to think of the restrictions Newton has on Crystal lake, a swimming hole, because of concerns for public safety around water. Here we have a remote bridge and no safety features.
Jerry, perhaps Terry Malloy isn’t getting enough catchup.
I have very mixed feelings on this project. I hope the Rudyak family finds some solace. I just wish they could have found inspiration in allocating their funds to restore the area to the way it originally was. Instead, they opted for a big plastic walkway. Instead of just $150k in taxpayer funds for cleanup, imagine what that $1m endowment could’ve done to reverse the pond’s atrophication, and build protective buffer systems to keep it that way. This project could’ve really been something special.
@Hoss. The State Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Friends of Hemlock Gorge also do a lot to keep Hemlock Gorge and Echo Bridge presentable. Members of the Friends organize massive cleanups in the Spring and Fall and it’s amazing just how much trash and debris accumulates over a six months period. Volunteers from Newton and neighboring communities show up faithfully each Spring and Fall to help and Dunn Gaherin’s provides a nice meal of sandwiches and cold drinks at the end. . This Spring’s cleanup is on Saturday, April 26th. Meet at the official Hemlock Gorge entrance in Needham at 10 AM. This is just past the Elliott Street bridge from Upper Falls over the Charles River.
BOB BURKE — Sometimes I find that the State’s inattention to things is very disheartening, But the DCR’s oversight of the Gorge is a top level effort. Newton should be very happy the last decade of budget cuts still allowed for this kind of attention. Moreover, MWRA’s stewartship of the bridge, clearing graffiti, fixing stairs, etc. is also encouraging. The Friend of Hemlock Gorge are doing a great job of keeping the focus
Jerry, blogging is the domain of the fellowship of the miserable and your positive and optimistic comments leave room only for snarky comments like mine.
Don’t sell yourself short; I’ve seen your legs. Gillette Stadium could use you in hotpants and halter top.
@Hoss. Long time members of Friends of Hemlock Gorge who are still active include Alderman and President Brian Yates, John Mordes, Bill Tedoldi and Vaunita Schnell. I’m a Johnny Come Lately to the Friends, but I can say without equivocation that old and new members comprise a great group of people for a great cause. We’ve also been helped immeasurably by Erica Aubin and others from Mass DCR. Also don’t forget our annual cookout on the 1st Tuesday of August.
@Terry Malloy – While I clearly have the requisite beefcake physique to be a male cheerleader, alas I’m over their age limit.
Thanks to Bob Burke who brings a burst of enthusiasm to every thing he gets involved in (And he gets involved in a lot things as the residents Newton Highlands, the rest of Ward Five, and many others know!) Like the rest of the Charles River Cleanup, the Hemlock Gorge Cleanup will take place on Saturday April 26. Interested volunteers should show up from 9 A.M. at the parking lot next to the bulletin board on the Needham side of the River across from the Mill Falls complex. We’ll give the gloves and tools to cleanup with, a special section of the Reservation with a map, and bags to put the trash and invasives in. for pickup by DCR.
As usual, there will be lunch down by the Stone Building next to Route 9,
Alderman Brian Yates
President, Friends of Hemlock Gorge
http://www.hemlockgorge.org