Visioning Workshop regarding Whitin Pond Dam
Visioning Workshop regarding Whitin Pond Dam
May 16th and 18th.
In the fall of 2022, the Town of Uxbridge received a $185,450 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant to begin removal of a small dam on Blackstone Street and to study removal of the much larger Whitin Pond Dam on East Hartford Avenue. These competitive grants help cities and towns to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change.
“This project will allow Uxbridge to prepare for unprecedented flooding events which threaten the health of a Town well and the capacity of a section of the Mumford River to handle such events,” says David Tapscott, Chair of the Board of Health and Project Director.
The design and permitting for the removal of the dam near the Town well is nearing completion and its removal in the near future is anticipated. The analyses completed regarding the removal of the Whitin Pond Dam will be presented and discussed at a three-day Visioning Workshop in May. On Tuesday May the 16th at 5:30 PM all interested citizens will assemble at the Progressive Club at 18 Whitin Street along with the MVP Core Team and our engineering consultants from Fuss and O'Neill. After a brief discussion we will walk to the Whitin Dam for a “walkshop” where we will gather input about the site and how those attending would like to see it used in the future.
On Thursday, the 18th of May starting at 5:30 again at the Progressive Club there will be a follow-up presentation where Fuss & O’Neill will share back a potential vision for the site assembled from input at Tuesday’s session as well as at prior preliminary presentations.
There will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to learn and give feedback. Thoughts and opinions have been shared with the Core Team already. More feedback will be welcomed during these two events, and you can send your comments and opinions to dtapscott@uxbridge-ma.gov at any time.