 The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will renovate the reservoir with paved pathways, benches, and wide dirt trails.
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The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has begun a three-phase restoration of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. A fence dating back to 1929 around sections of the reservoir has already been removed.
The first phase aims to rehabilitate the pathways, and the subsequent phases will include vegetation management and the installation of signs and map boards throughout the park. Vegetation management entails pruning hazardous tree limbs, limited tree planting, and the treatment of poison ivy in the area. Stone walls will also be repaired along Chestnut Hill Drive, the road that runs along the reservoir's northern bank. As part of the pathway rehabilitation plan, benches will be added to the park, as well.
"The bulk of the money is being spent [on the pathway rehabilitation]," said Kevin Hollenbeck, west district manager for the DCR Urban Parks Southeast Region.
"The rehabbing of the main path was determined to be the highest priority in terms of expenditure of funds [by the community]," he added, citing the 18-month resource management planning process the DCR undertook for the park with the assistance of the community.
The estimated cost of the first phase is $750,000 and the bulk of the construction should be finished by the end of July. A paved sidewalk will be added on the south side of Chestnut Hill Drive, as well, beginning in July.
And come July, taking a run around the reservoir should become a much more pleasurable experience. At present, the path around the reservoir is uneven and narrow. Soon, though, it will be replaced with paved pathways and smooth dirt trails.
"In the area where there is no sidewalk along Beacon Street, the project is going to include a five-foot-wide asphalt walkway, then a grassy strip, then a 10-foot-wide stone dust path on the inside [to match other trails]," Hollenbeck said.
The project, however, will not include any lighting or other safety improvements, a major concern of Boston College students. Because the park is closed after dark, Hollenbeck said these safety improvements were not being considered by the DCR.
The plan also does not include any new mechanisms or protocols for dealing with the homeless living in the area.
"Different areas have different rules. People are not allowed to stay overnight in the park; they are allowed to rest and be in the park during the day," Hollenbeck said.
The project in its entirety will be completed by the fall of 2008.
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