ROCKPORT — A group of concerned citizens seeking to restore Millbrook Dam and its neighboring park and waterways will have 20 minutes to make its case to the Public Works Board of Commissioners tonight.
Charmaine Blanchard is among those leading the grassroots effort to restore the area and was pleased the commissioners agreed to hear from the group so quickly.
However, she may not be pleased by what they have to say.
Blanchard, who lives on King Street across from the park, said approximately 40 people attended a meeting July 9 to develop a report outlining the challenges facing Millbrook Park. She will present highlights from that meeting to commissioners tonight at 8 in the police station's community room.
The group hopes to convince commissioners to support repairing the entire area as opposed to only the dam.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert Burbank said he supports full restoration of the park; however, at the moment, the dam remains the board's top priority.
"It's an opportunity to see where they're coming from and bring them up to date on what's happening on our side," Burbank said yesterday. "A lot of people around the park would like to see a project where all is restored | I personally would like that as well, but money and funding haven't been approved for that yet.
"We as a committee have separated that project from the dam work," Burbank continued. "The projects do not have to be done together and should not be done together."
The primary concern, Blanchard said, is that Mill Pond is being filled with sediment. Mill Pond feeds a frog pond through a small waterfall under the dam. The frog pond then runs into a stone culvert that leads to Front Beach and the ocean.
Heavy rains over the Mother's Day weekend in 2006 caused Millbrook Dam to breach, allowing the water to spill through Millbrook Meadow, a small park where community events are often held. The dam was stabilized with a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. However, according to residents, there is still a lot of work left to be done.
After the dam was damaged, water moved through it much more quickly, eroding the waterway. The culvert carrying water away is deteriorating and invasive plant life continues to establish roots in the area.
Planning Board Chairman Samuel Coulbourn lives close to the park and agrees with Blanchard that merely completing repairs to the dam in the near future is not enough.
"Just fixing this 1702 dam and not respecting its part in Rockport's rich history is not enough," Coulbourn said. "Some day soon the MBTA plans to make major improvements to our train station, and that will include taking care of the drainage for the MBTA parking lot. We see this as one important project that may help us to focus attention on our rapidly shrinking pond, as well as our dam."
Coulbourn believes the town needs expert help analyzing the problems facing the area, immediately followed by a plan to repair the dam and the pond.
"It will take many permits, and weave its way through a lot of bureaucracy, but we feel the time to start is now," he said.
A report prepared by GEI Consultants estimated it would take $719,000 to repair the dam. That figure does not factor in the repairs to the park and the culverts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency however, has approved only $340,321 for the dam project.
Burbank said GEI officials are appearing before the state and federal emergency management associations in an effort to acquire more money.
The group would like the commissioners to request a public presentation by GEI explaining its dam work site assessment, designs and cost estimate.
Blanchard said funding from historic organizations or Rockport's community preservation committee could perhaps be used for Millbrook Park repairs.
If the money is there, the commissioners would be happy to support the work, Burbank concluded.
"I used to skate on that pond, I wish it was (all) done now," Burbank said, but "we're anxious to get going with the dam. The design is about 90 percent done; it's in FEMA's hands now."
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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