Three years after a major rainstorm washed out the spillway system at Grassi Bog and caused flooding to abutting properties, it appears the reconstruction of the spillways will finally get underway now that a second amendment to the Order of Conditions of the approved plan has been approved.
Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell updated the Conservation Commission on October 26 on the latest changes to the plan, which include a significant increase in the size of a culvert – from a 7-foot 3-inch by 5-foot 11-inch culvert to an 8-foot 5-inch by 5-foot 11-inch culvert. Another proposed change is to substitute naturally found bedding materials instead of the original “synthetic geotechnical fabric.”
Rockwell said MOSAC acquired some additional grant money to help fund the larger pipe and substitution of natural gravel.
One structure that was originally slated for removal back in 2012 was also left in place because of the cost to remove it, the fact that it was right at the edge of the pond, and the excavation would have resulted in a 10-foot deep hole.
“Which was probably not the smartest thing to do because the dyke could actually let go,” Rockwell said. “We decided to just fill in what had been broken up and leave that … [and] I think if [the structure] wasn’t there, that spillway would’ve washed out that dyke and we would’ve had a catastrophic … flooding situation.”
Although the commission was poised to approve the project, Conservation Commission member Norman Hills had some concluding comments about the plans that have now been revised three times.
“I still have a problem with this,” said Hills, referring to the fact that the aforementioned structure was still not marked on the plan. “But we need to get this project on the road…. At this point in time, we need to get the damned job done. After all the time and effort that people have looked at it, they still couldn’t get it right.”
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for November 9 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House
By Jean Perry