BUCKLAND — TransCanada is putting a 6-foot chain link fence around a footpath along the Deerfiel River that has been used by some as an unofficial dog walk.
The utility company cites public safety reasons.
There has been public access to the site since at least 1912, when the hydro-electric plant was built.
But the flat pathway, just beyond the old Lamson and Goodnow building complex, has grown more popular in recent years as a place where many people walk, especially with their dogs. The utility has been concerned about dogs and/or people going into the water during the summer, about unleashed dogs, and about liabilities for a path that was not intended for public use.
In July 2015, about 45 people came to a meeting with TransCanada representatives to argue the case for keeping the path open. Shortly thereafter, the company announced the path would remain open to the public, but that TransCanada would “assess the interim measures and develop alternatives that can serve as a more permanent solution.”
Jennifer Link, a TransCanada spokeswoman, said the company had hoped giving Buckland a $50,000 grant towards $100,000 purchase of the Crickett Field ballpark was the solution — because it would give townspeople permanent access to a recreation area, with trails behind it that go down to the river. The town is still waiting to see if it will be receive a $50,000 state PARC (Parkland Acquisition and Renovations for Communities) grant needed to complete the sale.
“Because people were using the forebay, it really is a public safety risk. But our understanding was, it is a critical recreational facility, and we wanted to ensure (users) weren’t completely cut off from access to the river,” Link said.
She said the field is only about 100 yards from the forebay and the company hoped the ballfield and surrounding grounds was a good replacement for the forebay access.
A forebay is a holding pool of water, which is piped in through an underground tunnel near the dam and then drawn down whenever it is needed for more energy generation — especially at peak usage times.
“Our intention has always been to put a fence around the forebay, and we were really fortunate when Crickett Field came up for sale. It was an opportunity for us to be a good corporate citizen. It is a safe public space, and it will be a public asset for years to come.”
“People don’t always like change, and they’re disappointed they cannot use the forebay. But it’s really about public safety,” said Link. “It’s an important facility,” she said of the forebay, which is connected to Deerfield River No. 3 hydro station. “We cannot endure that kind of risk of having people have access to it.”
Selectmen’s Chairman Rob Riggan said he used to walk his dog around the forebay, when fewer people were walking the path. Then it became popular with a larger group of people, some of whom let their dogs swim in the forebay.
“It got discovered and it got overrun,” said Riggan. “The bottom line is, it’s private property.”
Riggan said the town is hoping to know by this month whether it has the second grant required to buy the ballpark. “I think what they offered to do for the town is terrific,” he said. “It was certainly a gesture of good will.”