Published in the March 12, 2021 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The future of public boating on Lake Quannapowitt is adrift for the moment as the Town Council has decided to seek bids for providing the service and has opened a 30-day “comment” period to allow the public to weigh in on what form boat rentals should take in the future.

Since about 2009, Boston Outdoor Recreation (aka Boating in Boston) has provided rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats from a location on the Lower Common. They have been allowed to place a shack there and, during the season, a dock and a rack for storing watercraft as well as a picnic table.

There have been complaints, echoed by a couple of speakers at this week’s Town Council meeting, that the company has been slow to remove its equipment at the end of the season and has been lax in its care and attention to the public space it occupies. They have operated at the location rent-free.

The company was brought in during the economic downturn following 2008 in hopes that attracting more people to use the Lake for recreation would spill over and result in  more traffic for downtown businesses.

Cole Trainor of Boston Outdoor Recreation joined this week’s Zoom meeting and said that he took over as manager in 2019. He apologized for the lack of responsiveness that previous managers have displayed in removing equipment as required by the contract at the end of the season.

Councilors floated the idea of invoking the 30-day comment period in the town policy for structures around the Lake in order to allow the public to weigh-in on the matter.

Town Councilor Edward Dombroski suggested putting out an RFP to see what other companies might be willing to offer. He noted that residents consider the Lake the town’s “crown jewel” and pointed out to Trainor that haphazard management of a facility on the Lake shore would not be well-received.

Councilor Jonathan Chines also expressed interest in seeing what other companies might be willing to offer.

Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio said that the town could put out an RFP and take things from there. 

Councilor Mehreen Butt supported a 30-day comment period to let people weigh in.

Town Council chair Ann Santos clarified that the issue was not whether or not to offer boat rentals, but what form it would take. She was concerned about getting things settled as soon as possible before the season starts and the town’s options become more limited. Maio said that he would try to get the RFP out as soon as possible.

Dombroski suggested that a resident discount might be a nice amenity given that the the space has been provided by the town rent free.

The Town Council authorized Maio to put out the RFP.

————

Town Councilor Paul DiNocco discussed land use options for the recently acquired town property off 94 Butler Ave. Last year’s Annual Town Meeting authorized the the town to purchase the land from a developer for $2.1 million as part of a legal settlement of a suit brought against the town alleging illegal dumping on the site back in the 1970s.

DiNocco laid out a number of scenarios for the 11-acre parcel. Two acres are contaminated and would need to be capped, rendering them undevelopable. 

One option would be to do nothing after capping the two acres, leaving all the land as open space. That would mean that the town would not recoup the $2.1 million is spent for the land.

The town could recreate the original subdivision (minus several parcels that would be lost due to the capping) and put the land out to bid for potential development, DiNocco noted.

Another option would be to change the zoning to General Residence and open the possibility of greater density, such as Chapter 40B affordable housing.

Other options include a 55-plus community, creating an attached-dwelling overlay district and using the open space development bylaw to preserve a portion of the land.

DiNocco asked his fellow councilors to think about the various options for a future discussion. Personally, he said that he would like to see the town recoup the $2.1 million it spent to purchase the land.

Councilor Ed Dombroski observed that the consensus around town seems to favor less density and more green space.

Town Administrator Maio assured the board that whatever happens, it will require either Planning Board or Board of Appeals action, plus a two-thirds Town Meeting approval to sell the land.

—————

In other business this week the Town Council:

• Approved $6,977,405 to fund the Retirement budget for FY 2022.

• Reconsidered their previous vote to approve $300,000 for the the Reserve Fund and increased that appropriation to $400,000 based on Maio’s recommendation.

• Approved a Traffic Advisory Committee recommendation that the first parking space on Princess St. near Main St. be restricted to 15-minute parking. The current restriction is 2 hours. The request came from a Main Street business owner looking for additional available parking for customers to pick up online orders or to-go orders.

• Declared the week of March 14-20 as Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield Phonathon Week after hearing from representatives of The Scholarship Foundation. Again this year, students will be seeking donations during the week via mailings and social media instead of by phone, due to the pandemic.