[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In the past few years, many area towns have been converting unused railroad space into walking, biking, and horseback-riding trails for the community to enjoy. With many of Medfield’s citizens longing for such a space in their own town, members of the community have proposed creating their own “Rail Trail.”
Citizens gathered at the new Public Safety Building on October 23 to discuss the logistics of the well-intended path.
Christian Donner, who has been working on making the Rail Trail a reality for the past eight years, led a presentation and discussion on the progress of the Bay Colony Rail Trail - the unused rail line between Needham and Medfield - and some of the challenges they face in pushing the project forward.
Kathleen Phelps, who worked on Needham’s Rail Trail, described the neighboring town’s efforts and how it can be done in Medfield.
Robert Weidknecht, a representative from a local consulting firm, described the results of a design and feasibility study as he spoke about Holliston’s success creating a trail. He proposed a low-cost alternative for the corridor at $618,000 and a high-cost alternative at $943,000, explaining that the cost could change depending on grants from the state, volunteer work, and fundraising initiatives.
“We have events [on the trail]. We have First Night activities, so it becomes, really, a great place to have an improved quality of life,” said Weidknecht, speaking about Holliston’s trail.
Kathleen Phelps described Needham’s experience in converting its own Bay Colony Rail Trail space into a community area, which had its grand opening in the early months of 2016. “It’s really been an area that’s provided opportunities for everyone,” she said. “It’s changed this eyesore … into a really beautiful aspect of the community.”
Much of Needham’s success came from hundreds of hours of volunteer work, fundraising from students, and local businesses’ dedication to helping build the trail.
Alan Moss also joined the meeting to discuss Dover’s progress in building a Rail Trail, called the Dover Greenway.
In Medfield, some of the impediments to building the trail include environmental liability, sharing land with the Norfolk Hunt Club, and funding. However, Donner presented some solutions to these issues, including buying an insurance policy to cover environmental concerns from the creosote in the railroad ties, and collaborating with the town to fundraise.
The Norfolk Hunt Club, which has been in Dover and Medfield for over 125 years, holds drag hunts just feet away from where the proposed Rail Trail will be. “We’re not only concerned about the [horseback] riders and our hounds, we’re concerned about dogs and dog walkers. There could be conflict or overlap, so it’s a big concern for safety,” said one of the Hunt Club members who joined the discussion about the Medfield trail.
While the Bay Colony Rail Trail Association has not yet found a solution with the Norfolk Hunt Club, both parties are confident in finding a compromise.
Donner revealed that he hopes to raise $50,000 by April 30, 2018, through fundraising.
To learn about the progress Medfield has made or to donate, visit http://medfield.baycolonyrailtrail.org.
