Letter: Free the Rez group wants answers

Editor’s note: The Citizen provided the Board of Selectmen the opportunity to respond in writing to the questions contained in this letter. However, the board instead intends to address the matter at its next meeting on October 18.

Dear Editor:

I am writing on behalf of Free the Rez to discuss the activity, or lack thereof, at Reservoir Pond for the last three summer seasons. Although it is a man-made water body and was once privately owned, it also was and is considered a Great Pond by state law and is subject to all pertinent regulations, including provisions for “reasonable access.”

An aerial image of the reservoir showing current conditions, presented at the MAPC forum (click to enlarge)

Historically, abutters to the Rez have had free access to its waterways while all others have had access via Pleasant Street. In 2012, the town took possession of the pond and the Pleasant Street dam in an agreement signed with the previous owner, the Napleton Company. All activity at the Rez continued as it did prior to the transfer of ownership. In 2013, the Board of Selectmen created and appointed members to the Reservoir Pond Advisory Committee (RezCom) to help guide future improvements, regulations and uses at the Rez.

Historically, people fished from the dam and launched boats from the wall at Pleasant Street. In 2014, the BOS responded to a potential threat to pedestrian public safety and voted to have ‘No Parking’ signs installed along the dam — despite the fact that there had been no accidents in that location. Immediately after that, ‘No Boat Launching’ signage was also added at the wall on Pleasant Street. I contacted Town Hall and spoke to the DPW, the Recreation Department, and the selectmen’s office and was told to use the Armando Center to access the Rez and launch boats. Soon, signage was added (later found to be installed at the orders of the Conservation Commission) to protect the Earl Newhouse Waterfront. Boulders soon appeared that made even kayak portage hazardous to the public. The Rez was locked down.

A few of my fellow citizens and I created a Facebook group called Canton Free the Rez to communicate with each other and our fellow citizens about the closure of this beautiful town resource. We have attended numerous meetings and hearings and have been in contact with the BOS for the last three summers, merely hoping to re-obtain public access. We have been vocal, and have asked for nothing but equity from the BOS. However, at a recent public meeting, the BOS issued its conclusions concerning access to the Rez in a final set of rules and regulations, and still equity has not been achieved.

To this end, and to gain a better understanding of how we lost the Rez, I offer the following questions to the BOS and other interested parties:

* Taxpayers own the Rez but have been unable to use it since access was closed in 2014. Did the BOS consider equity in its decision-making process?

* Pleasant Street access was closed due to potential safety concerns. In 2015, a near-fatal collision occurred between two jet skis visiting the Rez, gaining access via an abutter’s property. Why have jet skis not been banned under the new rules despite widespread public support for a ban?

* The RezCom, appointed by the BOS, disappeared for almost a year and held no public meetings during that time. Why wasn’t the committee dissolved, or inactive members replaced? The BOS chose to fund an MAPC study. Why wasn’t the MAPC study at the forefront of the board’s decision making?

* Why has access to the Rez been closed based on arbitrary dates, especially on what was to be an interim basis?

* Pleasant Street was repaved shortly after the access was removed. Why weren’t improvements considered that would have enabled the town to restore access, at least on an interim basis? Have any measurements been taken to determine if part of the access can be restored while maintaining the walking path on Pleasant Street?

* RezCom was concerned about milfoil. (Jet skis, it should be noted, have the greatest propensity to inadvertently conceal invasive plant species.) This is a genuine concern and the best solution would be a wash station and boat ramp, to be used by all arriving watercraft. This was discussed at public meetings but has not been addressed. Why not?

* Has the town investigated what funds are available from the state to make improvements for access, boat washing, boat ramps, and general usage by the public. If not, why not?

* The BOS and the RezCom have, in our opinion, been dismissive to elderly and disabled citizens voicing concerns about the increased difficulty in accessing the Rez. Would the boards care to address this?

* Prior to closing Pleasant Street access, what other options were considered? There was no public discourse about any other options and none were noted on BOS or RezCom meeting notes.

Free the Rez is committed to restoring and improving access to Reservoir Pond and promoting equity for all Canton citizens. I do believe that we, along with the BOS and RezCom, can continue working towards these objectives together.

Jim Park

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=34460

Posted by Guest on Oct 7 2016. Filed under Featured Content, From One Citizen to Another, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.