An outpouring of support for the Mattapoisett Bike Path was demonstrated at the September 25 public hearing hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation when a crowd of approximately 400 concerned citizens packed Old Hammondtown School. They came to see the 25 percent engineered conceptual drawings drafted by CLE Engineering of Marion. They came to hear from state and local officials about the next steps in the process of bringing this nearly two decades long dream to completion. And they came in mass to unite behind and voice their hopes that this piece of the Southcoast Bike Way will move from concept to reality.
Chairman William Chi of Mass DOT, flanked by Bill Travers from DOT District Five, Linda Walsh of Railroad Bureau/Department of Right of Way Procedures, and Lou Rabito of Mass DOT Engineering, guided the hearing through its formal process.
Also present and giving a fully fleshed-out presentation of the conceptual drawings was Susan Nilson of CLE Engineering, who has worked with both the Bike Path Committee and Friends of the Bike Path to bring this phase of the project to this point.
After opening statements, Chi turned the meeting over to Nilson. She went through all the major design elements of the project in detail. She displayed and discussed systems for crossing marshlands, traversing the barrier beach on Goodspeed Island and modifications to Goodspeed Island Road. The project, as described by the state in a document handed out, reads: “The path begins at Mattapoisett Neck Road. The alignment will cross an existing footbridge over the Mattapoisett River. The path then proceeds north over the existing salt march on a proposed elevated boardwalk. After crossing the salt march, the path proceeds to Reservation Road. It will then proceed south along reservation Road to rejoin the Old Railroad ROW along the barrier beach to cross the breach at Eel Pond, also known as the West Channel. The path then continues across West Channel to Eel Pond (a tidal channel) onto Goodspeed Island on a pile supported, steel reinforced timber structure where it transitions to a path at grade across Goodspeed Island to reach the public parking area at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Depot Street. Environmental factors include the crossing of several wetland resource areas: riverfront area, salt marsh, bordering vegetated wetlands, barrier beach, land under ocean, land subject to coastal storm flowage. The typical cross section of the path through this phase will be 10 foot wide with a 2 foot shoulder on both sides of the path.”
This is titled Phase 1B of a multi-town, multi-use path system that will eventually connect Mattapoisett village to Fairhaven and Marion. The finished bike way would ultimately unite a vast stretch from New Bedford to Wareham, with long-range plans connecting Providence, Rhode Island to Provincetown.
Phase 1B is not without challenges, Nilson said. However, she assured the crowd that each concern could be managed to the satisfaction of oversight committees. She said that governmental agencies and regulations such as MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act), Mattapoisett’s Conservation Commission (Wetlands Protection Act), National Heritage, Army Corp of Engineers’ Coastal Zone Management and possibly even the U.S. Coast Guard will govern the construction of this project. There are complex features and issues to this phase of the project, she explained, from environmental to historical to abutter impact. Each of these areas will require careful consideration, cooperation, and coordination between all parties involved.
Funding for the project will come from the Federal government agency for highways (80 percent) and Mass DOT (20 percent) for a total of $4.7 million through a two-year construction cycle.
Nilson left the podium to rousing applause as the public was then invited to speak. First up was Representative William Strauss, who has championed this project since the beginning. He said, “I give strong support of the project and the general design that has been offered … I have supported this project in all three towns … the only negative comments I’ve heard are ‘why is it taking so long’… this will be a unique, remarkable addition to the natural landscape.” Strauss said he hoped that after the meeting, the state would move quickly towards 75 percent design that would complete the design phase of the project. The construction documents would then come next.
Steve Kelleher, Chairman of the Mattapoisett Bike Path Committee, thanked his committee for their unflagging dedication to the project over the last two decades, along with Selectmen, Town Administrator Mike Gagne, Chairman of the Community Preservation Committee John DeCosta, and Bonnie DeSousa of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path. He stated that without their support, the project would not have gotten this far. He also thanked Gary Skylar and the YMCA for their courage to move forward with the plan.
Michael Gagne then stood to speak to the right-of-way issues, saying the town had an agreement with the YMCA and thanked the board of directors of the Reservation Golf Course for the agreement that is currently being scoped out between legal counsels. He said property owners who will be impacted had been very cooperative and spoke of the voters’ support through town meetings.
Bonnie DeSousa came forward to expression her appreciation to Ken and Sue Akin, whose involvement early on had been critical to the Friends of the Bike Path. She reported that research has proven that when cities and towns have bike paths, they help to drive economic opportunities, bring people into towns, and keep them there longer. She said that not only do bike paths bring visitors, but they also help bring in good workers, calling it “essential” in establishing a vital, healthy community. Future generations will also benefit, DeSousa told the assembled, and that most young people are very much focused on ‘saving their environment’ by using bicycle transportation versus automobiles. She said that the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Eastcoast Greenways and the Greater New Bedford Chamber of Commerce have all submitted letters of support.
Gary Johnson, President of the Mattapoisett Land Trust, said that his group has spent the last 15 years focused on “protecting land between here and Fairhaven,” with 165 acres now in protected status. “This will be a blessing,” he stated and will help people utilize the many trails and natural lands the trust has secured.
Several speakers, while in support of the bike path, were concerned about the impact on wildlife, vegetation and with people abusing public spaces by littering. Nilson responded that all those issues would be dealt with through careful analysis with various agencies and educating the public through signage along the way such as “leave no trace.”
Everyone coming forward was positive about the future with the bike project and spoke passionately about what such a recreational feature will mean to them personally, as well as for the greater public. Each speaker received rousing applause as they returned to their seats. However, one speaker did toss a bit of a dark cloud in an otherwise blue sky.
Attorney John Gushue, representing Goodspeed Island abutter Daniel DaRosa, addressed the group saying that the private dock DaRosa wants to build had received “adverse comments” which he deemed “unfair” to his client. He went so far as to call it “hypocrisy” that the bike path should have such wide support as opposed to a private dock. He said, “…there are impacts to any project … we will be contacting the DOT with our concerns.” He said his client will want to know how many people are expected to use the bike path, will it meet FEMA guidelines, and will it negatively impact property values or the environment. At the September 22 Mattapoisett Conservation Committee hearing, the DaRosa’s heard from a standing room only crowd that the raised pier as proposed was troubling with many believing it would change the character of the harbor, not only aesthetically but also from a public safety aspect. That hearing was continued until October 15. As Gushue left the podium, an unsettling quiet followed.
Peter Trow was the last to come forward, saying that opposition to the pier involved a matter of public trust. The audience agreed with a round of applause.
There is still time to provide the Mass DOT with your comments. You can write to Patricia Leavenworth, Chief Engineer, MassDOT – Highway Div., 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116-3973, Attn: Roadway Project Management. Please reference: Mattapoisett, MA, Multi-USE Path Phase 1B, Project File No. 605677. Deadline for comments is October 2.
By Marilou Newell
