SWAMPSCOTT — Town officials have received nine proposals from design firms to advance their plans for the construction of a rail trail.
“This is really an incredible response from some of the best design and engineering firms in New England,” said Naomi Dreeben, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, in a statement. “We are excited to see so much enthusiasm and great ideas outlined in these terrific proposals.”
The design firms that submitted project proposals are Alta Planning + Design, Beals and Thomas Inc., BSC Group, Green International Affiliates Inc., Hatch, Howard Stein Hudson, Meridian Associates, Pare Corporation, and Stantec Consulting Services.
In May, Town Meeting approved allocating $850,000 for the design and engineering of the trail location within the National Grid corridor, as well as the legal fees and costs for acquisition of easement rights. The vote was upheld during a town-wide special election a month later.
The two-plus mile 10-foot wide trail will run from Swampscott Train Station to the Marblehead line at Seaview Avenue, connecting with the Marblehead Rail Trail, which also links to trails in Salem.
The screening committee is reviewing the responses and will create a short list for interviews by the Board of Selectmen at their Sept. 13 meeting. Those interviews will be public, with the teams given a set amount of time to present their proposals. The board and public will be given an opportunity to ask questions, officials said.
The town intends to have a contract signed with the chosen team this month, so the design and engineering phase can immediately get underway by the end of the month.
Abutters to the future trail have been contacted by Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. Neighbors were sent letters about the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process in July, and were invited to meet with officials. Meetings with rail trail neighbors are underway, which include a Town Hall staff member and member of the board of selectmen, officials said.
“Over the last few weeks, we have had a number of informative and helpful discussions with these in-person meetings,” said Fitzgerald in a statement. “It has been valuable to hear the thoughts, ideas, and concerns each neighbor has about the trail before the town begins the actual design and engineering work. The information the town is collecting from these meetings will be provided to the selected design team so they have the important information that neighbors right next to the path hope to have considered at the beginning and throughout the project process.”
Peter Kane, director of community development, said in a statement “we’re excited to be able to personally meet the rail trail neighbors, and truly appreciate their inviting us into their backyards. It’s a great relationship that we plan to continue and strengthen as we move through the development of the trail.”
The trail has divided residents, with opponents, including many abutters to the path, expressing anger with the possibility of land taken by eminent domain and the cost, saying the trail is a luxury, and that the funds could be better used elsewhere in town.
Residents can visit the project website and view RFQ responses at http://www.town.swampscott.ma.us/community-development/pages/swampscott-rail-trail
