Work on the North Brook Trail is expected to begin in August, according to George Johannesen of Allied Engineering Associates, who designed it for the Rails to Trails Committee.
Johannesen appeared before the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night where he secured approval of the site plan for the project, which follows the former Central New England Railroad right-of-way and will extend about three-quarters of a mile to the Stoney Lonesome Trail parking lot off Ashpohtag Road. An easement from Norfolk Center Cemetery Association will allow parking on the Norfolk end of the trail.
Johannesen said the entire trail meets ADA requirements and is designed for both pedestrian and bicycletraffic. It will also be firm enough for strollers and wheelchairs.
The Inland Wetlands Agency has approved the plan, as has the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, owner of the land. “We have all the letters of authorization,” said P&Z Chairman Tom Fahsbender.
Johannesen said that most of the trail traverses wetlands and that several beaver dams in the area have created pools of standing water. A 150-foot-boardwalk, constructed of pressure-treated lumber, will span the pools. The remainder of the trail will be surfaced by compacted aggregate, which is permeable.
The Rails to Trails Committee has labored for more than a decade to bring the project to fruition. In May 2023 it received a $399,725 Recreational Trails Program grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The grant represents about 80 percent of the total cost of construction. The balance is to be covered by other grants, donations and in-kind services.