MARLBOROUGH – After years of dormancy, work has begun to convert the former landfill at Hudson Street into parkland.
According to City Engineer Tom DiPersio, the city “will be correcting deficiencies in the old landfill cap as well as recapping a portion to be used as a park.”
Last October, plans were presented before the Conservation Commission.
Bruce Haskell of Langdon Environmental LLC, the project engineer, will be overseeing the project; he will certify the work on this landfill closure on behalf of the city. He will also oversee reporting and review erosion controls.
The contractor will be Tetratech, which will have a full-time inspector.
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The final capping and field establishment is scheduled to be completed this spring. Once the grass is established, the new fields could be open in the fall of 2024.
The project will cost about $4.1 million, according to bid documents filed by the city’s Engineering Division.
“I am very glad the city continues to make green space a priority for our residents. Accessible green space carries with it many positive health impacts and brings our community closer together. This is a project that goes back several years, and I am grateful for our dedicated city staff who have brought it this far. When opened, this will be another substantial addition to our many park and recreation areas,” said Mayor J. Christian Dumais.
Solar panels
The landfill was closed and capped in the 1980s. In 2020, the city approved a zoning amendment to establish an overlay district for a solar array.
During a public hearing held in the fall of 2020, the City Council discussed potential benefits for having solar panels installed at the landfill – financial incentives from the state; a discount for low-income residential utility customers; and reducing the carbon footprint.
Although the amendment was approved, no plans have been submitted for a solar project, according to the City Council.
