Spot Pond dreams finally realized
Published on February 24th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - To some, it was a pleasant surprise. When the likes of MDC Commissioner David Balfour, MWRA Executive Director Doug MacDonald, state Senator Richard Tisei and state representatives Paul Casey and Michael Festa along with other notables showed up at the Town Hall on Monday night for the Spot Pond Committee meeting, it was a safe bet that something was up.
And what was up came in the form of the good news that the committee had been awaiting for months regarding the future of Spot Pond.
"We've come to a milestone," announced Balfour.
Balfour declared that the MDC and MWRA had finally developed a long-awaited memorandum of understanding (MOU) which calls for transfer of care and control of the pond and the pond edge land from the MWRA to the MDC.
The agreement is currently under review by boards of both agencies and is anticipated to receive final approval by the middle of next week.
The MOU is significant to the Spot Pond Committee's initiative since it officially identifies the MDC as the governing body over Spot Pond and its surrounding land. The committee plans on working closely with the MDC in promoting Stoneham's interest in the master plan of creating a recreational area at Spot Pond.
The transfer will officially occur on July 1, yielding some limited public access to the area at that time, said Balfour.
He praised the efforts of the state legislators in securing funds for the plan that, in the short term, will include the hiring of a consultant to embark on a study to investigate the potential long-term future recreational use.
"This study will tell us what we want to do and how much (it will cost)," said Balfour.
In addition, the current funds which are available will cover the costs of readying the area for Phase I, a short-term plan which calls for the creation of a hiking trail from the Botume House to Pickerel Rock.
"I think we can get in there right away, July 1, and do some clearing...," said Balfour.
Balfour stated that he foresees the consultant holding weekly public meetings in various towns in order to get a feel for what people want. These "roadshows," as he called them, would be the start of putting together an access plan for the area.
"We're looking for it to be a regional facility," said Balfour.
Balfour's announcement comes nearly one year after the committee's inaugural meeting when members first discussed their own ideas for the area and how best to make the town's voice be heard by the MDC.
"If we're not a squeaky wheel, it won't get done," committee member Charles Houghton said at that time.
MacDonald also credited the hard work of the legislators along with that of Selectman Chairman Al Conti who, in a recent letter to both agency heads, emphasized the importance of finalizing the MOU to the future of Spot Pond.
While the MDC will shoulder the greatest portion of financial responsibility for the area, the MWRA will continue to oversee the pond's water quality and will be responsible for approving any recreational use recommendations from the MDC that affect the water. The MWRA has already stated that there would be no swimming in the pond.
"We can do whatever we want to as long as it doesn't negatively impact water quality," said Balfour.
MacDonald also pointed out that funding for the MDC's plan will not come from MWRA ratepayers.
Balfour suggested that a not-for-profit friends group for Spot Pond, which would operate in a similar fashion to others in the area, such as the Friends of the Fells, was something he would like to see formed in order to lend support to the area.
Both Tisei and Casey acknowledged the long road that lies ahead for a public access plan for Spot Pond, but agreed that the signing of the MOU was significant
"This is just one small step but it really is a great leap forward," said Casey.
Festa suggested that the mere presence of Balfour and MacDonald at the meeting sends a strong message regarding commitment to making Spot Pond more accessible to the public.
The committee vowed to be present at the public meetings that the MDC's consultant will hold. In the meantime, it will work on a presentation outlining possible uses of the area. The cities of Malden and Melrose have already appointed liaisons to the committee to assure input from those communities is offered. Medford and Winchester have yet to make any such appointments.
"We've just made a giant step forward," said committee Chair-man Steve Sylvester.
The committee's next meeting will be held on March 8 at 7 pm in the Town Hall Banquet Room.
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