As MassHort gets ready for its Tulip Mania event in April and May at Elm Bank Reservation on the Wellesley/Dover/Natick line, park users are wondering how the prep for that event might affect their ability to walk, run, and bike around the ring road. New fence posts arose this week, only to be removed not long after that.
This all comes in the aftermath of this past winter’s drama at the park, where MassHort initially prevented people from using the popular sledding hill before fencing was torn down by parties unknown and sledders prevailed. People had already been complaining about the fencing (and boulders), which not only made this beautiful park less so, but squeezed pedestrians and cyclists too close to moving vehicles.
The high fencing, along with smaller electric fencing within it, was put in place by MassHort to protect its flower beds at the bottom of the hill from deer and perhaps other interlopers. Elm Bank has become an increasingly fenced off park over the years in the name of better monetizing the gardens—and avoiding liability (change in the name of liability has been a big theme in this area, including further west in South Natick, where the town of Natick plans to remove the iconic dam/spillway in large part due to what it says are liability concerns).
As was the case over the winter during the “Let Them Sled” episode, we’ve been in contact with MassHort, the Department of Conservation & Recreation (property owner), and State. Rep. David Linsky. DCR told us it is looking into the situation and I spoke with Rep. Linsky, who has spoken to MassHort Director James Hearsum.
Linsky relayed that MassHort said a contractor put fence poles where it shouldn’t have, and has since removed them. The organization is in the process of applying for a permit to put back fencing to protect its flowers, but has agreed to install the poles further back from the road, he said.
We haven’t heard directly from MassHort on the immediate situation or on its longer-term intentions regarding access to the hill. Though Linsky said he has tried to inform DCR of “the wishes of my constituency who use the property for recreation and sledding. It’s an important community resource… DCR is going to have some decisions to make, I think.”
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