from the DCR

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has extended by more than a month the public comment period for the Neponset River Trail extension.

Comments will now be accepted, by email or phone, through August 14, 2010.

DCR also has scheduled two site walks in July to provide local residents and other interested parties the opportunity for on-the-ground discussion of proposed alternatives for the trail extension. (You can find more info on the walks  here.)

“We are grateful for the public interest and input on this project,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “We want to be sure everyone has ample time to let us know their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.”

Public comments on the extension can be sent to DCR by email at DCR.Updates@state.ma.us or by phone at 617-626-4974.

On May 17, DCR held a public meeting at the Foley Senior Residences in Mattapan to discuss several alternatives for linking the Neponset River Trail and the Neponset Esplanade. The existing 2.5-mile Neponset River Trail now runs between Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester and Central Avenue in Milton. The planned extension to Blue Hill Avenue will open about 7 miles of trail
along the Neponset River, connecting Pope John Paul II Park to the Neponset Valley Parkway in Hyde Park.

The presentation on the project from that public meeting, and related information, can be viewed at

www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/greenwaysgeneralpast.htm.

In early fall, DCR will hold a second public meeting to present the recommended alternative. During the two upcoming site walks, DCR will discuss the various routes for the multi-use pathway connection, and will respond to questions and solicit public input. For more information on the site walks, call 617-626-4974 or email DCR.Updates@state.ma.us.