Your editorial on the Schell Bridge process titled “Don’t look bike funding gift horse in the mouth” (March 28) misses the point. For the past two years, the Town of Northfield has worked well and continues to work well with the Department of Transportation, WSP, the engineering consultant firm charged with developing designs for the Schell Bridge Replacement, state Sen. Stan Rosenberg, who has championed this effort in Boston, state Rep. Paul Mark, and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. Your editorial ignores the long process that has welcomed and encouraged citizen input, and is instead a misinterpretation of this recent meeting because it lacks context.
I am a member of Northfield’s The Schell Bridge Advisory Committee, not to be confused with the Friends of The Schell Bridge (also a member here). The former was formed by the town to facilitate the process referred to above, and to ensure that citizens of Northfield have input into the building of the Schell Bridge replacement and its operation going forward, and was created a little over a year ago. The latter was formed as a nonprofit to preserve the historically significant bridge built in 1904 by Moody devotee, Francis Schell, and was founded nearly 15 years ago. Only a few years ago, The Friends of the Schell Bridge, the Town of Northfield, Senator Rosenberg, MassDOT, FRCOG and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation struck an important compromise that faced the difficulty (price and otherwise) of preserving the historic and beautiful bridge. The compromise included the state offering to demolish the historic bridge; build a Schell Bridge replacement that incorporated some of the elements of the historic bridge into the construction, or into a memorial of the bridge; and convene meetings in Northfield to gather input on design issues and concerns. The final and very important element of the compromise is that the state would own the new bridge, and that the DCR would manage, maintain and determine policy for the Schell Bridge replacement.
The Department of Transportation and the engineering consultants, who have run the public meetings with Northfield and area residents, presenting possible designs for citizen input, told us in the meeting last May that they were impressed with the large public meetings in Northfield, and that it was unusual, as often what they get in these projects is little input upfront, and then criticism when it is too late to make any difference.
DOT has said that they are impressed with the thoughtful questions, ideas and concerns of Northfield residents. In this last public gathering of citizens on March 22, abutters, concerned neighbors, myself and others continued the process that had begun on Oct. 13, 2016, when the compromise was presented to another packed audience, and we were wisely asked to express our issues by Sen. Rosenberg.
No one is suggesting that the primary purpose of the bridge is other than recreational. Many present are acutely aware that the historic bridge was destroyed by abuse. No one I have met in the large audiences has behaved ungratefully to the state for the necessary compromise struck or would jeopardize funding in any way, but instead continue to offer and propose ideas.
The mistake here is that the answers to concerns and proposals from the host town — Northfield, will be best answered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, who will be charged again with the management, operation, and maintenance, and who have not been represented at the meetings since October, 2016. The final decisions lie with this department, we hope made with Town of Northfield input.
Note, I want to make it clear that I do not speak for the Schell Bridge Advisory Committee, or the Friends of the Schell Bridge.
Steve Stoia is a resident of Northfield, and a member of the Town’s Schell Bridge Advisory Committee.