Taunton mayor welcomes ideas to create Weir Village waterfront district

TAUNTON- Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said her “administration team is always open to ideas and suggestions for” creating a Weir Village waterfront district near the Taunton River.

“It will require careful consideration as to what exactly defines a waterfront district and what impacts that designation can have on the area going forward,” she said in a written statement to the Taunton Daily Gazette.

Taunton resident Sandra Thomas is urging city officials to create a Weir Village waterfront district extending along the Taunton River from the former Bacon Felt factory on West Water Street to the corner of Ingell and Weir Streets.

Thomas also said the waterfront district could have boat docks for people to come ashore and visit nearby shops, restaurants, or Weir Riverfront Park.

Taunton is ‘working to redevelop Weir Village’

O’Connell said her administration “has been working to redevelop Weir Village.”

“We opened the splash pad at the Weir Riverfront Park and are in the process of renovating Walker Park on the other side of the river,” she said.

O’Connell said the upgrades at Walker Park will include “a new bandstand, walkways, seating, and landscaping.”

“We have opened the splash park, and our team is already in the process of bringing recreational opportunities to the Weir, like kayak rentals,” she said. “We are also working with a business owner to open a new restaurant, and a new housing project is on the horizon for the Weir. We are working hard every day to make Taunton a leading city.”

Bacon Felt Company factory could be replaced with housing, apartments, arts, stores, restaurants

Thomas said constructing an apartment-retail complex at the former Bacon Felt Company factory which closed in 2005, would benefit the proposed Weir Village waterfront district with shops and restaurants that attract people to patronize them.

Taunton took possession of the former factory in August 2022 due to unpaid property taxes by an entity called 395 West Water St, LLC, according to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds and Taunton Assessors.

O’Connell said her administration is discussing potential reuses of the former factory site with developers and business leaders.

“There are many opportunities on the table, including housing, arts, and retail such as services, shopping, and restaurants,” she said.

O’Connell said her administration developed a Revitalize Taunton Initiative Program and a Facade Program to encourage development and assist local businesses.

“Having created numerous programs to encourage business development, we have left no stone unturned to revitalize downtown, the waterfront, and all the business zone neighborhood,” she said. “As mayor, I have a robust vision for economic and community development that includes housing, retail, and recreation that will create economic revitalization. We have already been taking action.”

Concerns raised about sewer flow into Taunton River

Middleboro resident Jesse Jimenez, 44, said he enjoys riding his boat in the Taunton River, but there is sewage in the stream.

“Sewage dumping is a problem, and they (the city) should clean it up,” he said while preparing to launch his boat from a Riverfront Park ramp next to Taunton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant on Aug. 29.

Jimenez said he would like to see a Weir River Waterfront District created along the Taunton River.

“This area should be the cleanest,” he added.

An overflow of sewerage in the stream occurred during a heavy rainstorm near Riverfront Park on Aug. 18.

DPW; ‘no concerns for recreational use of Taunton River ‘

Taunton Department of Public Works Capital Projects Director Katherine Nunes said the combined sewer and stormwater overflow (CSO) activated a state and federal-authorized discharge device for 25 hours on Aug. 18-19.

“That (CSO device) allows an overloaded system to discharge into the river,” Nunes said in a written statement. “When there is not a lot of stormwater, this mix is transported to the (Taunton Wastewater) treatment facility where it is processed. However, after heavy rainfall or snowmelt, flows can overload the system, and the CSO can be activated.”

Combined sewer overflows rarely happen in Taunton, Nunes said, and there are procedures in place that record when a CSO occurs and its impact on the community.

“The city’s operator is required to report any CSO events and the associated information to community regulators and the MA DEP when an event transpires,” Nunes said. “There should be no concerns for recreational use of the Taunton River.”

The Taunton River Watershed Alliance obtains monthly water samples and collaborates with the DPW and Veolia Water North America to monitor the contents.

According to the Department of Public Works, over the last 20 years, major steps have been taken to improve the city’s sewer infrastructure. The sewer system upgrades have involved “separating the sewer and stormwater system, eliminating infiltration and inflow, increasing the capacity of the infrastructure, and enhancing treatment of the city’s sewer and stormwater flow.”

Upgrades are being done at the city’s main sewer pump station and wastewater treatment plant.

“The upgrades underway,….will increase the capacity of the system and help manage high peak flows to further mitigate overflows and improve the city’s sewer system,” Nunes added.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton mayor Shaunna O'Connell welcomes revitalization of Weir Village