Spruces

Post date: May 11, 2018 8:23:1 PM

Last year, Town Meeting approved Community Preservation funds for adding some basic amenities to the Spruces. In anticipation of that, in April 2017, we prepared a request for permission from FEMA for the placement of 5 picnic tables, 3 trash barrels, 2 kiosks, 1 sign and one bench. Thirteen months later we have received an answer, allowing the tables, barrels and kiosks located outside the floodway (which is roughly the half of the parcel closest to the river. We will be ordering, preparing and installing those items in the coming weeks. The sign, bench and trash can located at the back of the property (approximately where the memorial garden was once located) were all denied. We specifically asked for these items to get a better understanding of FEMA's response to these items. If small items were determined not to be reasonably eligible, that could guide future plans. As we expected, the items in the floodway were all denied because nothing will be allowed without providing a full hydraulic and hydrologic study demonstrating that the encroachment would not result in an increase of flood levels. Commissioning an engineering study to place a trash felt to be a poor use of resources which I included in my response to FEMA's request for additional information received in January (see letter attached.)

This is important to acknowledge to understand that use of the property, particularly in the floodway, for anything that has any change to the ground, even if it is a trash can or a sign, will not be allowed without a study and then, there is not really any guaranty that with a study, such an improvement will be allowed.

We continue to work on low impact items that enhance the use of the park such as the mowed walking trail that was put in place last year, mowing along the edges of the roads to facilitate walking, dog walkers and other users that may benefit from having a tick buffer. In the area of the pond, the pollinator group is working to install some plantings that will be pollinator friendly (and ease our DPW's maintenance work), using funds from a grant received last year.