(rshsdepot) Bedford, MA

["jdent1_@_optonline.net" <jdent1@optonline.net>]

From the Bedford Minuteman=85

Depot Park work begun=20

By Natalie Goodale / Staff Writer=20
Wednesday, December 4, 2002

The Depot Park construction at the terminus of the Minuteman Bikeway is no=
w
officially under way after eight years of negotiating, planning, and
designing=2E=20
Life and history will be brought back into the old railroad yard, freight
house, and old railroad depot after years of usage as a less-historical en=
d
to the bike bath=2E=20
"This is a project to preserve the railroad history of the bikeway and
provide amenities to people who use the bikeway," said Jim Shea of Friends=

of Bedford Depot Park=2E "The park will involve historic restoration of th=
e
railroad depot and freight house, public restrooms, landscaping, benches,
historical lighting, and a parking lot for bikeway users=2E"=20
"When this project was originally proposed, it was a modest $24,000 town
project to place a bench, sign, and landscaping at the bikeway terminus,"
Shea said=2E=20
That was back in 1995=2E The newly formed group of people interested in
restoring the historical and aesthetic qualities to the railroad park
brought the idea to Town Meeting and asked for the funding=2E About the sa=
me
time, however, the group heard of the Transportation Enhancement Program, =
a
program run federally and administered by MassHighway=2E=20
"The Transportation Enhancement Program attempts to provide enhancement to=

existing transportation," Shea said=2E "It is not meant to build roads=2E"=
=20
Shea said Bedford's railroad project, in order to gain the funding from
this program, had to meet certain requirements=2E Some of the program's
purposes, said Shea, are to add beauty, history, and amenities to existing=

transportation=2E=20
"The depot park project addresses several of these," Shea said=2E=20
Another requirement to get the program's funding was that the project must=

cost $100,000 or more=2E The Friends, therefore, drastically increased the=

scope of the project, expanding it to cost an ultimate $1=2E35 million=2E=20=

The group submitted a proposal for the project, and it was approved by the=

state in 1995=2E Shea said Friends of Depot Park hired a company to engine=
er
and design the new park=2E=20
In order for the park to be built using this program's money, which comes
80 percent from the federal government and 20 percent from the state, ther=
e
had to be a clear title to public land, said Shea=2E The town had to eithe=
r
own the land they were building on or have a long-term easement to the
property=2E=20
According to Shea, the Middlesex Lumber Company, as well as the Veterans o=
f
Foreign War, own parts of the land on which Depot Park is to be built=2E T=
hey
gave the town long-term easements, which may extend up to 99 years, giving=

the town permission to use their property=2E The MBTA owns the bike path,
which is leased to the town=2E The town also had to negotiate with the own=
er
of the freight house before purchasing the building, which is now used for=

a museum and refreshments=2E=20
These easements and negotiations, Shea said, took a lot of time to pass=2E=
=20
"The state had the money, but a lot of things had to be done," Shea said=2E=

"The bulk of the property was on public land, though=2E"=20
On Nov=2E 12, the construction of the new park commenced=2E=20
"The construction crews are currently excavating and grading in the old
railroad yard," Shea said=2E "There is preliminary work being done for the=

drainage before it is paved=2E They are also preparing the freight house f=
or
its construction next year=2E"=20
The old railroad yard is where the coaches and freight cars were stored,
and up until recently it boasted three parallel railroad tracks=2E Now the=

yard is being converted into a parking lot for bikers=2E The Minuteman
Bikeway is an 11-mile stretch of old railroad tracks once used by the
Boston-Maine Railroad commuter line, which ran from Bedford to Boston=2E T=
he
Minuteman Bikeway, according to Shea, is one of the most heavily used of
all "railtrails" in the country=2E=20
The Freight House is being remodeled on the inside and out, and so it will=

have to be closed after its construction commences=2E However, the old
railroad depot, which currently rents space to businesses, will only be
redone on the outside to improve its historical and aesthetic qualities=2E=
=20
Shea wants people who use the bike path to see what Bedford has to offer=2E=

The current terminus to the bikeway, Shea said, is lacking many things it
needs=2E=20
"It's not even obvious to bikers that the bikeway is ended," Shea said=2E =
"We
need a better-defined end=2E"=20
By the middle of next summer, the FBDP hope to have the project completed=2E=
=20
"People can still use the path, even when there is more significant work o=
n
the bikeway," Shea said=2E=20
To get more information on the proposed park design or about Friends of
Depot Park, visit the Web site bedforddepot=2Eorg=2E



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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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