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Swampscott Rail Trail Design Charrette Announced

Public Input Sought at November 9th Session
Posted on: October 24, 2017 - 10:15am
Charrette

The Town of Swampscott and the Rail Trail Design & Construction Advisory Committee announce a Design Charrette at Swampscott High School on Thursday, November 9, 2017, from 4:00 to 8:00p. The public is invited to stop in at any point during the session to collaborate on the design and vision of the future Swampscott Rail Trail. There will be an opportunity to view maps of the former rail bed, offer input, and talk to the design engineers. As part of the Preliminary Design phase of the project, engineers from Stantec are evaluating the former railroad corridor in the town and making recommendations for rail trail design and development.

A design charrette is a great, interactive collaboration method that brings citizens, designers, engineers, and others together to jointly develop a vision or idea. This type of forum allows various ideas to be shared and evolved while also giving immediate feedback to the designers. The rail trail design charrette is formatted as an open house so that participants can come at any point during the charrette to share their ideas and thoughts.

A vote at the May 2017 Town Meeting allotted funds which was affirmed by a town-wide vote in June, for the design and engineering of the trail as well as costs for the acquisition of the easement rights. The engineering firm, Stantec, was selected by the Board of Selectmen in September to provide services for the design and engineering process which is currently underway.

Stantec is a design, planning, and consulting firm in Burlington, Massachusetts. With considerable experience in rail trail design, Stantec is working with the Town and the Committee to evaluate trail alignment options and offer guidance through the design process. The public is welcome to stop by the high school cafeteria on November 9 any time between 4:00 and 8:00p and participate in this process.

We hope to see you on Thursday, November 9th at the Swampscott High School.

For more information, contact Pete Kane, Director of Community Development, or visit the project website.