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Dickinson Fowler,
Highway & Grounds Superintendent
The Highway and Grounds Division maintains approximately 107 miles of public streets with the associated drainage systems consisting of almost 50 miles of drain lines, 2,800 catch basins, 124 culverts and 751 drainage manholes. In addition, the division maintains 55 miles of sidewalks, 2,793 signs, more than 90 pieces of CPW vehicles and equipment, and manages the compost facility. It is responsible for 82 acres of public parks and grounds including 39 acres of active recreation areas (10 athletic fields). The new multi-use fields at ccrhs will be added to this total in 2008. The division maintains all public shade and park trees, under the direction of the Park and Tree Supervisor who is also the Town’s Tree Warden.
Snow Removal Program
The 2007 season saw significant activity for the department’s winter maintenance personnel. The first reportable snow fall did not take place until late January and there were only three snow fall events of three inches or more all season. Although winter snow levels were not high, with only three storm events requiring full mobilization of forces, sanding and salting operations were extensive throughout the season due to the persistent cycle of freezing and thawing. Two snow removal operations took place to clear snow from the business districts late in the season.
Marc Reardon plowing the Hubbard Street sidewalk
Roads and Sidewalk maintenance
The Highway Division manages the contracts for several major maintenance programs including pavement preservation strategies such as crack sealing and infra-red patching. These programs were completed in the fall. Highway crews reclaimed several sections of roadway with full-depth patches of distressed pavement in preparation for certain 2008-09 road projects as well as other roads requiring attention. Other areas worked on include Black Duck, Fox, Butternut, Minot, Peter Buckley, Author’s Rd and Wright Road. Route 62 in West Concord continued to receive limited road improvement measures while waiting for the “foot print” State funded tip rebuilding project to commence.
In addition to road repair, regular road maintenance, brush cutting and sweeping, the division accomplished major sidewalk work which included overlaying and reconstruction of: Laws Brook, Main Street (near the Library), Lowell Road, Cambridge Turnpike and two major projects including overlaying Wright Road and replacing and widening the section of Main Street between Florio Drive and Route 2. A number of other smaller repair projects were completed in cooperation with CMLP.
Highway Division - sidewalk paving on Main Street
Drainage
An extensive drainage project was completed on The Valley Road. A major project involving right of way work through a housing development on Anson Road was also accomplished. Sunken/collapsed catch basins were repaired at various locations. New basins were installed on Caterina Heights, Liberty, Church, Blue Jay, Nancy Road, Thoreau and Walden St. Parking lots, Thoreau at the High School, Old Bedford, Sudbury, Powder Mill, and Buttricks Hill Road. Division crews continued their monitoring of beaver/flooding areas of concern at Mill Brook, Spencer Brook, Williams Road, and Cambridge Turnpike that reached levels of concern during Concord’s many rain events. This included cooperative efforts for breaching and trapping with the Department of Health and the Natural Resource
Commission.
Parks and Playgrounds
The Park & Tree crews maintain over 39 acres of athletic fields for use by the baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and other programs. Emerson, Rideout, Ripley and Sanborn playgrounds are heavily used from spring through the fall and receive the most attention with regards to mowing, raking, line painting, fertilizing etc. Sprinkler systems are continually maintained and plans are in place to complete pump and electric installation at upper Sanborn in the spring of 2008, having had the piping installed by Town personnel. The crews also supported maintenance in various conservation areas, as well as the community gardens, the Visitor’s Center, all Town properties including new water system locations and numerous gateway traffic islands and areas of public access in the
business districts.
Trees
Concord Public Works planted 90+ public shade and park trees with an additional 10+ planted in Town cemeteries. All shade trees were planted in accordance with the division policy of “the right tree in the right place,” and included many trees planted on private property as public shade trees, in accordance with the shade tree planting policy. Along with the new plantings, the Park & Tree crews pruned 25+ trees and took down another 160+ trees that had been damaged or were in hazardous condition. Numerous trees were removed in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery by Concord Tree Crews in accordance with the adopted hazardous tree study, commissioned by the Concord Cemetery Committee, and this program is continuing.
Pete Flynn, Tree Warden, and recipient of the "Tree Warden of the Year" award by Mass. Tree Warden and Forester Assn. demonstrates to Middle School Students how to determine health of a tree.
2007 saw the continued integration of Tree Warden activities within the division. The move of the Tree Warden from the Planning Department to the Park and Tree Division, with the Supervisor being formally appointed as Tree Warden occurred in 2005 and brings the administrative function as well as the operational function under one umbrella with Highway and Grounds. The “public shade tree protection policy” adopted in 2005, continues to be shared with the public, contractors and Town departments. The division’s goal remains to replace at least one public shade tree for every public shade tree that is removed or dies.
Cemetery
In addition to routine maintenance and burial activities, the cemetery staff worked on numerous projects and provided contractor oversight. This included, extending screening trees at the Knoll, tree removal at Sleepy Hollow following the adopted hazardous tree plan, continued work on the Knoll Garage, flag pole lighting at the Knoll, new roof installation on the Powder House at Old Hill and continuing erosion control activities. Project plans for historical restoration and improved functionality of the Sleepy Hollow Deeds Building were put on hold following the Community Preservation Committee’s decision to not recommend funding for the upcoming fiscal year. The Melvin Memorial continued to be monitored daily and covered during winter months. Maintenance included annual
review and treatment of the slate tablets and rifle inserts as well as continued brush clearing.
In the sixth year of a multi-phase monument restoration program in the older cemeteries, the Concord firm of Fannin Lehner Preservation Consultants continued their assessment at “Old Hill”, and began physical conservation efforts.
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