BELLOWS FALLS — The Bellows Falls Historical Society has received a $7,500 grant from TransCanada Hydro Northeast, Inc., to support its Bellows Falls Historic Riverfront Park and Trail System project.
“We are delighted that our neighbor TransCanada answered our request for funds to support this important community project, and so many of our other initiatives,” said Dennis Ladd, society president. “Although the bulk of the work on Mill Street is being funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, we need to arrange funding from a wider support system.”
The Bellows Falls Riverside Park and Trail project consists of the creation of a historic interpretive trail system across the riverfront, which will communicate the area's industrial heritage with artifacts along the trail. A nature and bird sanctuary and community gathering space will be completed this summer.
Improved canoe, kayak, and fishing access are planned, as are improved tie-ins with existing trail systems throughout Bellows Falls and Westminster.
The project at the eight-acre parcel will provide Bellows Falls residents and others a green space environment and a venue for community events. Although a densely populated village on the Connecticut River, Bellows Falls village has lacked public access to the river because of railroad and industrial uses.
“The primary benefit will be to transform an underused former industrial area into a fully functional green space for public use within walking distance of downtown Bellows Falls,” Ladd said. “The project will increase enjoyment of the area by both residents and visitors alike.”
Completed are a multi-purpose riverside field, access road, and parking area behind the grist mill, including handicapped access and ramps available for people with special needs, as well as the encapsulation of a brownfield site.
The second phase of the park and trail project will be completed this summer. The society has secured two consecutive awards of EPA grants, totaling nearly $500,000, to support this project.
Moreover, grants from Windham Regional Commission's brownfield fund, National Grid, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, the Southern Windsor Regional Planning Commission, and the National Parks Service rivers and trails program have also funded the work.
The Bellows Falls Village Corp. and a number of local organizations and business and individuals have also contributed.
To learn more about the project, visit the Bellows Falls Historical Society's space at 33 Bridge St. at any monthly 3rd Friday Art Walk in Bellows Falls. The next one is Friday, April 19.