Friday, March 13, 2015

Protecting History

 Current protective cover is getting a tad tired

The 100 year old historic downtown fountain at Sweetser Park will get a protective make over in the near future if Town Meeting approves the Community Preservation Act Committee package of 9 proposals this Spring.

The town Planning Department submitted a $20,000 proposal to the CPA Committee for a consultant to "perform an assessment and engineering study of the Enos Cook Memorial Fountain ... prepare bid specifications for its restoration ... and design and construct a cover to preserve and protect the Fountain during the winter."

The fountain anchors the western end of Sweetser Park closest to the heart of downtown.  In the spring and summer it is a magnet for families out to enjoy New England weather -- especially after a hard winter.

The Fountain underwent a $50,000 renovation 20 years ago after remaining dry for many years. 

The Sweetser Park Gift Account received $20,000 from the Rotary Club and Friends of Sweetser Park two years ago after the fountain was shut down in 2013 due to plumbing problems, which were temporarily addressed by the DPW.

The gift account money should be enough to cover renovations, but if not town officials will return to the Community Preservation Act Committee for additional funds. 


Ah, Spring

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did I just read a $20,000 study to research how to protect a fountain from winter?

That is just ridiculous, who is possibly going to give their expert opinion for such pocket change?

#thefountainstudybudgetistoodamnlow

Anonymous said...

Get rid of the fountain (save the money) and sell off the land. It is the perfect stop to build some stores and apartments. Enough of this "open space" crap.