LYNNFIELD — The more than 600 acres of undeveloped wooded area known as Willis Woods now has a large new public path running through it.
Completed in November, this path was built by Middleton’s Bostik, Inc. in collaboration with the Fire Departments in Lynnfield, Middleton, and North Reading. The path will provide emergency services access to Willis Woods as well as recreational access to the green space.
Willis Woods spans a large area between Lynnfield, Middleton, Peabody, and North Reading. It is owned by a mix of private owners and the municipalities, including a more than 500-acre parcel owned by Lynnfield Center Water District. Bostik owns a sizeable parcel in Middleton between the Peabody Independence Greenway and the LCWD-owned section of the Woods.
Willis Woods has been the site of multiple brush fires and medical emergencies over the years, but emergency services have struggled to access the area. A small strip lies north of the Ipswich River, but the vast majority is to the south. There is a bridge across the river in North Reading, but it cannot be certified to carry heavy equipment, meaning Fire Department access to the portion to the south was limited to foot or small vehicle traffic.
This new path was spearheaded by a collaboration between Bostik and the Lynnfield, Middleton, and North Reading Fire Departments. The three fire chiefs lauded Bostik for its effort to make this path. Bostik hired and payed for a private paving company to remove the remaining sections of rail and compact the length of the rail bed to make the path suitable for heavy vehicle traffic.
“The area has seen numerous brush fires over the years, and this new access will allow improved safety to the adjacent properties,” Lynnfield Fire Chief Glenn Davis said. “We are grateful for the collaboration of the Bostik Team and the North Reading, Middleton, and Lynnfield Fire Departments, as well as the North Reading, Middleton, and Lynnfield Departments of Public Works.”
North Reading Fire Chief Don Stats added, “Bostik has graciously agreed to and funded the site improvements needed for their property as well as their section of the trail which will allow full fire department access to the wooded area. I cannot stress enough how impressed I have been with Bostik’s willingness to assist us in this endeavor.”
Bostik is a subsidiary of Arkema Group and operates a plant in Middleton for Arkema. There, it produces a variety of adhesives and other products used in many industrial products and processes. This plant has been in operation for 130 years and used to be serviced by the rail line that forms the bed of this new path.
“When we were asked to build this emergency access road, it was an easy yes,” said Paul Caizzi, Middleton plant manager. “Bostik and Arkema have been part of this community for many years and appreciate everything the local community has done for us. Helping to make this community an even better place to live and work is important to us.”
Lynnfield’s Open Space and Recreational Working Group, which operates as part of the Planning and Conservation Department, has been working on an initiative known as “A Vision for Willis Woods” for about five years. The goal is to expand the protected areas of the land to preserve as much contiguous wooded area as possible, for the benefit of the towns, by protecting the ecosystem and watershed that supplies much of the water for Lynnfield. The plan also aims to improve the recreational usability of the undeveloped green space by adding new paths like the one built by Bostik, as well as improving existing paths.
Stats praised the Conservation Commissions and Public Works departments of all three towns, saying that they “have been instrumental in partnering with the Fire Departments and supporting our vision of the necessity for this project. This project has truly epitomized ‘teamwork’ and what can be accomplished together.”
In 2022, Greenbelt purchased the Richardson Green portion of Willis Woods to protect it as undeveloped land and build an entrance and path to the LCWD portion of the Woods. This land is bordered by Main Street, making it a major access point for Willis Woods. Greenbelt, also known as Essex County Land Trust, is an organization that owns and maintains many green spaces around the county.
Greenbelt President Christopher LaPointe praised Bostik’s contribution, saying that “the partnership between Bostik and the three towns is a major milestone, and we look forward to continued collaboration as we work to connect our Lynnfield Woodlot property to Willis Woods.”
