Winchendon officials aim to break ground on new waterfront park at no cost to taxpayers
WINCHENDON ― Town officials plan to turn the abandoned auto shop on Beech Street into a waterfront park in an effort to beautify the town.
The waterfront park project is just a small part of the town's citizen drive master plan established in 2020 by officials with the support of Winchendon residents to achieve within the next few years. Bonnie Thorin, who was the property owner of the rundown auto garage and two-family home, reached out to Town Administrator Justin Sultzbach in the summer of 2021 to transfer the two properties to the town.
Sultzbach said Thorin had fallen behind on unpaid property taxes, and Thorin ended up donating the properties to the town in exchange for tax forgiveness.
Voters at special Town Meeting accepted the two properties but at the same time residents had concerns about the conditions of the properties.
The rundown Beech Street auto shop has a dozen old oil barrels that have been leaking hazardous chemicals into the soil and into the neighboring Miller Watershed wetlands. After taking title to the properties, the town hired licensed site professionals to confirm that the soil as well as the surrounding water is contaminated from years of oil leaking from the barrels. The Winchendon Redevelopment Authority (WRA) was charged with establishing a remediation plan in 2021.
Two weeks ago, the WRA started its first phase of remediating the property by cleaning up the oil barrels and assessing the contamination of the soil and surrounding wetlands.
"It kind of illustrated for the people that there's a bright future ahead," Sultzbach said. "This project is an excellent opportunity to reframe the way folks look at our downtown by seeing improvements when they drive through the town's gateway."
Within the next two months, Sultzbach said residents will see major changes on the properties. Officials will strip the auto garage down to its foundation and begin remediating the contaminated soil in the spring. In the fall, residents will see the park construction starting.
Improvements to be made without cost to taxpayers
Sultzbach said WRA has developed a few ideas that they would like to incorporate into the new park. They plan to make the waterfront park into a historic riverwalk with several plaques and sculptures that highlight the manufacturing history of the town. Historic-style streetlights, benches, and many plants and trees will be placed in the park as well.
Some of the stations are planned to display the importance of the Miller River and how historically it powered all of industrial Winchendon, Sultzbach said.
Town officials estimate the cost of the project to total $200,000. The property remediation plan and the construction of the new park will have no impact on taxpayers, Sultzbach said. Town officials are applying to a local philanthropy organization, Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, and the statewide financial agency MassDevelopment for grants to cover the project costs.
The property with the two-family home is planned to be sold within the next year and the money generated from the sale will go towards the waterfront park cost.
Sultzbach said all WRA members and town officials want Winchendon citizens to be involved in the projects and their input is important because this park is for the community.
"One of the most important pieces of the project is that it's going to come at no cost to the taxpayer and it's truly transformative," he said. "All the folks who work in town hall on our boards and committees are working together to make this thing happen at no cost."
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Waterfront park project in Winchendon to replace contaminated property
