Northborough plan pares Blake Street Pocket Park to about $783,000, cites safety and drainage fixes

John Campbell, representing the Community Preservation Committee, outlined plans to rehabilitate the Blake Street Pocket Park as part of three Community Preservation Act (CPA) warrant articles for the Town of Northborough.

"All three met not only the state's criteria for CPA qualification but our own criteria and as displayed a high level of community support," Campbell said, introducing the projects and focusing his presentation on the Blake Street Park improvements. He said the original proposal was roughly $850,000 but has been reduced to about $784,000 to make the work affordable within current CPA reserves and revenues.

Campbell described a package of changes intended to improve safety, accessibility and downtown appeal. Work would include new drainage and rain gardens to address persistent puddling in the municipal lot; reconstruction of the parking area immediately adjacent to the pocket park (about one-third of the municipal lot, he said); replacement of degraded walkways with concrete sidewalks and vertical curbs; and a new ADA-accessible ramp and walkway connecting the municipal lot to 4 West Main Street.

To reduce unsafe crossings of nearby railroad tracks by local middle-school students, Campbell said the plan proposes a six-foot stockade fence with a community mural that would also conceal a railroad-owned utility box. "We really don't want people crossing the railroad tracks at this location," he said, describing the worn path children use to reach a nearby snack shop.

The design also retains the park's flag pole, adds a seating wall and patio at its base, and includes tree plantings, bike racks and a pergola intended to encourage foot traffic and visitation. Campbell said much of the project's cost is tied to stormwater mitigation, parking reconstruction and the pergola; he cited a current total near $783,000.

Campbell credited town planner Lori Connors for working on scope and cost reductions that made the project fit within CPA revenues. He framed the work as a modest initial investment in downtown revitalization meant to improve safety and attract more business to the area.

The Blake Street Pocket Park project is listed among the CPA-related articles on the town meeting warrant; Campbell did not report a vote during his presentation.