Woonsocket would give up a half-acre strip of city-owned land in Blackstone, Massachusetts for a shared-use path near its backup water supply. Officials say drainage, fencing, and liability terms are still being worked out, with a council vote expected in September.
Massachusetts’ state park agency is asking Woonsocket to hand over a half-acre easement across city-owned land in Blackstone, Massachusetts, so it can extend a shared-use path — and city officials say their central condition is protecting the reservoir that serves as Woonsocket’s backup water supply.
Two staff members from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation presented the request to the City Council on Monday, August 17, according to the Woonsocket City Council’s published meeting recording. One told councilors his understanding is that the item will come back before the council for a vote at its September meeting. The council took no vote on the easement.
What is being asked for
The easement would cover roughly a half acre — described in the presentation as about 30 feet wide by roughly 850 feet long — on a former railroad corridor running east to west at the northern end of the pond that serves as the city’s backup water supply. The parcel is city-owned but sits in Blackstone, Massachusetts…