LYNN — This week, the city began construction at Barry Park meant to reduce flooding in the area by filtering and collecting stormwater.
The $435,000 green infrastructure project, funded through the state environmental affairs department’s municipal vulnerability preparedness program, will rebuild a parking lot at the corner of Batchelders Court and Ainsworth Place.
Principal Planner Aaron Clausen said since the current gravel lot near Barry Park sits on the Strawberry Brook conduit, a buried stream at the end of the watershed, water backs up and floods on Boston Street.
By replacing the gravel with a permeable surface above underground flood storage units, the new lot would mitigate the impacts of flooding in the area. He added that the surface would also act as a filter to improve water quality.
“It’s a great opportunity to improve the park itself, add parking spaces, reduce flooding, and improve water quality in the city,” Clausen said.
The infrastructure project, scheduled for completion around June, will also include construction of rain gardens bioswales — verdant depressions and channels that collect stormwater runoff and filter it through vegetation. Clausen said these structures are expected to have positive environmental impacts, as they create habitats for birds and pollinating insects.
The parking lot renovation supplements the Barry Park Improvements Project, funded through three separate $400,000 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grants. Community Development Director Jamie Marsh said the project is more than halfway done.
City Council President Jay Walsh, who advocated for the project last year, said he was pleased with how fast it is coming together. He added that the teams are well ahead of some expected completion dates.
“There’s been a lot of flooding problems in the West Lynn area that have been problematic over the years as houses that are adjacent to Barry Park flood. We knew that we needed to do something to try to help,” Walsh said. “This is not going to solve it, but this is something we’re doing to try to improve the situation.”
Over the summer, contractors installed a splash pad and multi-use court in the park, completing phase one. The bleachers lining the park were taken down last month, wrapping up the renovation project’s second phase. Marsh said within the next few months, the city will begin work on the third phase — installing new playground equipment.
“Three for three, and Aaron hit the home run,” Marsh said.
