BTC Town Report

8/14/2019 BTC Town Report

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Town Update


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T Up

The Brimfield Trail Committee (BTC)was established in 2006 for the purpose of

establishing recreational trails in theTown of Brimfield.

Organization History


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Brimfield Trail Committee

President:

Richard Costa

Secretary:

Tony Bys

Other Members:

Joe Balou, Jim Lamothe,

Paul Adams, Paul Watson,Scott Gerrish, David Bolte,Jeff Buckel, Bill Simonic,

Richard Haller, Ron Ignotz,Rob Mahlert, Chris Rabbitt,Larry Lowenthal


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Community Partners

Brimfield Board of Selectmen

Brimfield Highway Department

Brimfield Boy Scouts Troop

Local Businesses and Residents

Army Corp of Engineers


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Trail History

The Brimfield Trail System currently takes

advantage of two abandoned rail beds;the Grand Trunk Railroad and the

Springfield and Eastern Street Railway


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Trail History

The Grand Trunk Railway was chartered in 1910

to connect the port of Providence, RI to the CentralVermont Railroad in Palmer, MA . This was thevision of owner/financier Charles M. Hays.


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Trail History

Construction started on the Grand Trunk in 1912despite the death of Mr. Hays during the sinking of theTitanic forever linking the railway to the ill-fated ship.

However, without Mr. Hays, work on the railway endedwhen funding dried up during World War I


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Trail HistoryThe Springfield and Eastern Street

Railway was part of a trolley system that ranfrom Worcester to Springfield until the 1920s


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What has beenaccomplished

so far?


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Handshake Agreement

In 2007 a Handshake Agreement was reached withthe Army Corps of Engineers giving us $7400 with

1:1 matching funds from the Brimfield Trail Committeeand Town of Brimfield in the form of volunteer labor,equipment usage and transportation of trail materials.


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The main work to date has been to re-open theEast Brimfield section of the Grand Trunk and the

Springfield and Eastern trolley beds as recreationaltrails. The sections currently being worked on liewithin the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of

Engineers .

Handshake Agreement


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Handshake Agreement

This funding was used for the creation of aparking area on Five Bridge Road


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Handshake Agreement

Signage and gates


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Handshake Agreement

installation of culverts


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Handshake Agreement

an information kiosk


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Handshake Agreement

trail building and reclamation


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Handshake Agreement

brush clearing for creation of scenic vistas


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Handshake Agreement

and gravel for trail resurfacing.


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Handshake Agreement

We now have 1.5 miles of accessible trail fromFive Bridge Road to the Quinebaug River.


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Current Status


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Current Status

The Brimfield Trail Committee has beenawarded a grant from the

Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc.aka The Last Green Valley.The plan is to use these funds during 2009

on expanding the trail system on the

Army Corps of Engineers land.


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Last Green Valley Grant

$5,000 in 1:1 matching funds

Rental of a wood chipper

Heavy equipment /operators

More gravel

Clearing and reclamation of additional trail


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What is theFuture of the

Trail?


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On the West end of thetrail, a small bridge is

needed to continue thetrail towards theTown center.

The bridge will be builtusing donated old

telephone poles andpressure treated lumber.

Whats the Future of the Trail?

Bridge built on Westville Lake Trail


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We hope to use thepipeline and come out

onto Holland Road onthe old Trolley Line.

Further West towardsMonson and

Palmer is still beingplanned.

Old Trolley Bridge on Pipeline


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At the East endof the current traila 85' long bridge is

needed to crossthe Quinebaug

River.



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With a bridge the trailcan continue to a

planned parking areaon Corp land onEast Brimfield-Holland Road

and further...


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The Brimfield Trailis part of a much

larger 'Super Trail'that is plannedto run from

Palmer to Franklin

Sturbridge Villager July 18, 2008


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Titanic Rail Trail Status


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Palmer

Monson

Brimfield

Holla

nd

Sturbridge

Southbrid

geDudley

Web

ster

Thompson

DouglasUxbridge

Millville Blackstone

Bellin

gh

am

Frankli

n

Palmer

Monson

Brimfield

Holla

nd

Sturbridge

Southbrid

geDudley

Web

ster

Thompson

DouglasUxbridge

Millville Blackstone

Bellin

gh

am

Frankli

n

What does this mean forfuture of the Brimfield Trail?


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Connect with other points of local interest!Sturbridge section of the Grand Trunk Trail

Streeter Point Recreation AreaCenter of Brimfield (Antique Show)Old Sturbridge Village

Sturbridge shops along Route 20


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How will the Trailbe funded in the

Future?


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Cost of Bridge Work

The 85ft. bridge over theQuinebaug River has beenestimated to cost $25,000just for the engineering

using existing Big Digbridges the Army Corp hasstored at the boat ramp.

Total cost has been

suggest to be around$200,000 to install thebridge.


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Cost of Bridge Work

To compare, a new bridgedesigned and built for thebike trail using the

Mass Highway system for

quick estimates

Feet in length x $200085 x $2000 = $170,000


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Cost of Trail Building

Handshake agreement: $7,400In kind match: $7,400

LGV Grant: $5,000

In kind match: $5,000Funding total: $24,800

Est. cost total: $125,000

Shortfall: $100,200This does not include the funds needed for bridges


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Funding for Trail Building

How do we get more $$$$? Fundraising

Additional Grants State and Federal Government Assistance


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Thank you for your interest in our trail project.

We hope you will come out and enjoy the trailand tell everyone you know to do the same!

For more information about the trail, visit our website:

BTC Town Report

Documents

Transcript of BTC Town Report