Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Franklin, MA: DelCarte tour

I managed to get a tour of the DelCarte properties with Conservation Agent Nick Alferi and Conservation Commission member Jeff Livingstone in May. The brief tour helped me to better understand the potential for this property. I hope the pictures show here will help you as well.

This is a view of the one of the larger ponds. If my notes and orientation is correct this is the water held back by Dam 3.


This is the broken spillway of Dam 3


A rusted basket on some concrete at Dam 5


Refuse collecting below Dam 5


Clearly on one dam, looking back across the water to another dam, but I have misplaced the notes telling me exactly which one this is. Perhaps someone can help us identify which one this is?


The broken concrete on Dam 5


One of the signs posted to keep folks off the dam


Evidence of two-legged and four-legged 'beaver' damage.


The dams do need to get fixed, sooner or later. The area has so much potential to be a recreational gem for Franklin residents. I wonder what the presentation and discussion at the Town Council meeting on Weds will lead to?


Franklin, MA

5 comments:

  1. Steve - A question for you on open space funds. I am lead to believe that this property is not eligible for open space funds as the property was donated and not purchased with open space funds? Is this correct?

    This would seem like the ideal place to use open space / conservation funds.

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  2. Michelle, you are most welcome!

    Graydon, yes, I have heard Jeff Nutting say that a couple of times. The Open Space funds per the way they were set up can be used to purchase property (as the Council did recently with a home near the DelCarte land) and improve property that has been purchased (i.e. the recently purchased land) but since the major DelCarte property was donated, the funds can not be used for this. Although it would be a good use for them. Hence the look for other grants, etc. to help offset the expense.

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  3. Hi Steve, i've never been in here..is this a place to walk? are there any paths/trails?
    thanks. it looks beautiful.

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  4. There are 'natural' paths right now, as the work to repair the dams is completed there will be additional work on the trails to make them more accessible. There are two parking lots off Pleasant St today and over the next couple of years (assuming funding) the work should complete to make this gem more available to all!

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