Dear Friends,
Nothing like sending yet another good-news newsletter!!
Fair warning that exclamation points are in abundant (over!)use below.
The short version:
1. The Gath rebuild is currently on schedule
2. Increase in traffic safety through success of new back-in parking and RRFB
3. Exciting plans in play* for the fields, trees, lights, courts and paths…and your input is requested in an informal poll about bench styles and colors!
4. Interesting discussion series about Cheesecake Brook as wetland and tributary
5. Upcoming work includes a new bridge over the brook
*pun intended
1. Gath Pool Rebuild
The concrete for the lap pool has been poured, and the shell is fully formed! (!!)
Also, the concrete for the recreation pool has been poured, and the shell is fully formed! (!!)
The ADA ramp and stairs in front of the bathhouse have been poured.
Both pools exist!
See for yourself:
The front of the pool and bathhouse are under development and also on schedule (!) – and the remaining work now is to finish the overall facility.
At the beginning of the project, there were plenty of unknowns, but with current assessments – all parameters are fairly well known now.
I think we can all agree that this is amazing and thrilling.
Want even more good news?
The contracting teams are receiving appreciation from neighbors – for being clean, timely, polite, focused while working weekend days, holidays and all weekdays. Wow!
2. Traffic Safety
The new Back-In Parking Pilot continues to be successful with 95-100% compliance at all times of day. Wow! Thank you to Newton DPW and to everyone who parks in the new way to make change happen. It takes all of us working together to make it happen.
We found that it takes about 3 tries to get the angle right, and then you’re a pro.
What’s the result of learning this new skill?
-People can now bike on Albemarle and be seen. (!)
-Drivers don’t blast horns anymore when someone is pulling into the roadway, since they aren’t doing it blind. (!!)
-It’s easier and safer to access the park from a vehicle since no one needs to walk broadly around open doors or to trunks exposed to passing cars.
More thoughts:
There is also a new RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) in place – and it’s working!
That’s right…we can now all cross the street!! (!!)
3. Fields, Lights, Trees, Courts and Paths – Moving Forward with No Delays
A beautiful plan exists to upgrade Albemarle with more trees, better footpaths, rain gardens, playing fields, pickleball courts and better, smarter lighting (like Newton North). It’s approved, funded and in place. Now we just need to finalize the design and find a contractor.
As a riverfront area (it’s a wetland and tributary of the Charles River), this project will be given a permit for the entire site. Once that permit moves forward, much like the pool redesign, the design team can swiftly move to finalizing construction documents and bidding this summer. Any delay will result in the delay of significant benefits to the community.
We do not want a delay. All of these improvements are badly needed.
They include:
· Park accessibility for all residents
· Upgraded equipment
· Safer routes for kids to go to school at Day, Fessenden and NECP
· Better and safer 4th of July, Indigenous Peoples day and other events.
· Newton Fire and Police Departments will get better and cleaner access to area
· Many multi-generational opportunities abound including pickleball courts and easier path use
· Addition of many trees throughout the park
· Environmental benefits of better, smarter irrigation and maintenance systems and process
· Improved traffic conditions by providing alternate modes of transportation through the park’s multi-use path
· Rain gardens that capture any run off into the brook, leading to a cleaner river and ocean
· Equitable access to athletic environments for the North side of Newton
We’re confident that, working as a community, we can all rally together to ensure that the entire permit moves forward on time to get these badly needed improvements for the north side of Newton.
Tell Us What Furniture You’d Like to See at Albemarle!
Please take a few minutes to complete this informal poll and share your preferred outdoor furniture styles and colors.
Feel free to share!
https://forms.gle/M1w1oScSeohPtgvh8
4. Cheesecake Brook
Watch last week’s public meeting co-hosted by Charles River Watershed Association and the City of Newton about a grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management looking to keep pollution out of Cheesecake Brook, evaluate fish and wildlife passage, and help green the Albemarle corridor.
Learn more at www.crwa.org/stream-restoration
Meeting recording:
The slides from the meeting and recording are now available.
There are also educational resources on how you can help protect the water quality of the Charles River Watershed by making small changes to your property like adding rain gardens and other natural features!
Please save the date for the next public meeting in this series: Thursday, April 25th at 7:00 PM.
5. Upcoming Work
A new bridge will be built across Cheesecake Brook to support pedestrian crossings to the upgraded park and pool. It will line up with the path through Fessenden School and connect easily to Gath Pool and the new fields and courts.
There is a plan to formalize parking near Fessenden School as well.
This will be an ADA compliant-bridge that exists alongside the one placed just upstream back in 2021.
Phew! That’s a lot of information for just one winter newsletter, and if we keep writing it, well, it’ll be spring. Thanks for reading!
Cedar Pruitt
President, Friends of Albemarle
Friends of Albemarle 