NORTHBOROUGH – Work is almost complete on an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible trail at the Northborough Senior Center.
“I’m so pleased to see the work that has been done on the ADA trail at the Northborough Senior Center,” said Director Kendra Faldetta. “This will give many of our seniors a chance to get outside and get some exercise. This will be such a wonderful addition to our Senior Center and the community.”
According to Department of Public Works Director Scott Charpentier, the project began with the Trails Committee. There are a series of trails behind the Senior Center through Edmund Hill Woods, and Charpentier said the committee thought it would be nice to have an accessible trail for seniors near the pond built by the Fish and Game Club.
The committee brought the project before the Senior Center and Recreation Department directors, who then looped in Charpentier to find funding for the project. The Trails Committee submitted an application to the Community Preservation Committee for Community Preservation Act funds.
According to Charpentier, the total cost of construction of the trail is $370,000, which was appropriated at Town Meeting.
The walking trail will be 0.5 miles long with an overlook on a peninsula into the pond. In the past, town staff have said that it will be suitable for both wheelchairs and walkers. Last year, the Select Board accepted a grant from the AARP for two benches and a picnic table.
The contract for a general contractor was awarded to Flynn Enterprises; Charpentier said the company has a lot of experience when it comes to ADA-compliant construction, particularly with the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s parks and grounds.
“They worked seamlessly and tirelessly to get through what was a challenging early construction season. If you remember this spring, there was quite a bit of rain and precipitation,” said Charpentier, noting environmental sensitivities nearby.
Once the weather cleared, the workers proceeded efficiently, he said. Now, the project is nearly substantially complete, which is a construction categorization meaning that the project can be opened and utilized for its intended use.
“It came out better than expected. We were able to provide some improvements to the original layout to allow quicker access down the path; they’re referred to as convenience paths,” said Charpentier.
But don’t break out your hiking shoes quite yet. Charpentier said the town intends to have a public announcement through its Town News alert system for the opening.
“We appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into the trail and are eager to see it be used. Having accessible places is so important, and this is one great step to making Northborough more accessible,” said Faldetta.
For more information on the Senior Center, visit https://www.town.northborough.ma.us/senior-center.
