Much-needed improvements to a town landmark will be coming soon.
The Select Board has awarded an $87,500 contract for the development of an accessibility-improvement plan for Redd’s Pond. The project is being undertaken by a company based out of Foxborough.
For years, the pond has struggled with periods of dangerous levels of cyanobacteria, as well as disrepair of the infrastructure surrounding it.
Last year, state Sen. Brendan Crighton and state Rep. Jenny Armini secured $25,000 for infrastructure upgrades to the pond, which will include repairing the pond’s retaining wall and the walking pathways around it.
Last year, Armini talked about the significance of keeping the pond and its surrounding area structurally sound and clean.
“The pond is a treasure,” Armini, who lives right across it, said. “I think everyone has a memory at Redd’s Pond… That’s what makes preserving it so important, because it really is a part of who we are as a community.”
In August, 2023, the Board of Health issued a public-health advisory for the pond due to an outbreak of blue-green algae, making it unsafe for humans and pets to come in contact with.
The pond’s infrastructure has also created hazards for residents walking around its perimeter. Last year, resident Biff Martin and member of the Model Yacht Racing Club, which operates on the pond, told The Weekly News that one of its members stepped into a hole on the path and fell.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said at the board’s meeting that the contract will be funded with the $25,000 from the state, as well as American Rescue Plan Act funding, and that the project is for the design and development of the improvement plan specifically.
“When the work is complete, we’ll have to go out to bid for the actual work (to the pond), but we will have solid price proposals and such,” Kezer explained.
Select Board members commented on the importance of preserving a spot in town that many have fond memories of.
“It’s great to see this happening,” Chair Erin Noonan said. “It’s definitely a local treasure.”
Board member Alexa Singer added that the restorations are “long overdue.”
The board also approved a contract for the development and design of rail-trail segments in town, from the Salem-Marblehead line to West Shore Drive.
Kezer said that the purpose of this contract is for “the final design, engineering, and construction costs.” The rail-trail project will be fully funded through ARPA.