The Swellesley Report

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Wellesley’s Fuller Brook Park work progresses amid significant tree damage from macroburst

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The following is from the DPW, Engineering division. All photo credits to DPW:

July has proven to be a very busy month in Fuller Brook Park with hot, dry weather. This is good for work in the brook, for which low water flow is helpful, but stressful for all the trees and grass planted over the past year, which are struggling to become established. Major items of new work are show below. 

July and August are good months for work in the street because of lower traffic volumes and limited school transportation, mostly for camps. The DPW has completed the drainage work in Wellesley Ave., which upgrades the size of the drain to the brook to accommodate increased development over recent years. Photos show excavating under a waterline. Installing the larger drain pipe, and the enlarged outfall to Fuller Brook.

Fuller Brook Park project
Excavating in Wellesley Ave. for upgraded drain pipe.
Fuller Brook Park project
Installing new 24″ drainpipe under existing waterline.
Fuller Brook Park project
An exciting addition to the park in July was two interpretive signs providing explanations of some of the environmental and water quality benefits of parts of the project. Near Abbott Road is a sign discussing the bioretention basins constructed at the upstream end of the park to filter stormwater runoff from the streets and improve water quality before this runoff enters Caroline Brook.
Fuller Brook Park project
Near Forest Street is a sign which discusses relocation of that section of Caroline Brook to protect a portion of Wellesley’s sanitary sewer system from potentially damaging bank erosion. These interpretive panels were funded as part of a water quality improvement grant the town was awarded from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Wellesley Fuller Brook Park project
One of the less visible elements of the Fuller Brook project has been repairs to five masonry structures; either bridges that carry roads over the brook, or culverts that channel brook water under the roads. Work has been done at Forest Street, State Street, Wellesley Ave., Brook Street, and Cameron Street. Some of this work has involved repointing the stone masonry of the structures and other has been structural repairs inside the structures themselves. The photo below shows before and after images of the two sides of the culvert at Brook Street. This culvert had deteriorating granite block wingwalls, side walls that hold up the soil embankments, and headwalls, that span across the structure. The work at brook Street also included repairs inside the two pipes that carry the brook. Pictured above, downsteam side before work.
Wellesley Fuller Brook Park project
Downstream side after work.
Wellesley Fuller Brook Park project
Upstream side before work.
Wellesley Fuller Brook Park project
Upstream side after work.
Wellesley Fuller Brook park project
Work has also begun on the rehabilitation of the pedestrian bridges in the park. This work includes installing new recycled plastic decking and railings that are consistent with other structures in the park and replace deteriorating elements of the old bridges. It also includes structural repairs to extend the bridge life going forward. The photos show bridges at Appleby Road and Simon Park with repairs in progress. Removing the bridge deck and handrails at Appleby.
Fuller Brook Park, Wellesley
Of course, what fun would all of this be without a late afternoon macroburst on Monday July 18, just to keep things interesting? The wild wind storm tore through parts of Wellesley, including that section of Fuller Brook Park between Grove Street and Dover Road. In Fuller Park, several large old maples, oaks, and pines suffered significant damage. Luckily no one was hurt and the property damage in the park, other than to the trees, was minimal. The DPW Park Department did an amazing job of first removing hazards and opening up the park path, then removing trees that were impacting the construction contractor’s access to his work, and then removing downed trees from the brook itself. Work continues in picking up and disposing of the tree waste generated by the storm.

 

 

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