1913 Grant without funding
Originally the park was deeded to the City in 1913 after lengthy negotiation which stated “That the grantors will agree with the City of Newton that they will not request nor require the city to expend any money for the development or improvement of the land so granted,” see: http://www.edmandspark.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/History-of-Ownership-of-Edmands-Park-Land.pdf .
This set in motion, for what over the decades became unfortunate neglect by city departments (street, playground, recreation, school, etc) and in so doing became a casual dumping ground for curbing, asphalt, demolition, and discards of the city.
This uncaring and financial non-management left the hosting neighborhood and park users confused as to the example set by the city. Without a funding source for bettering the park, the maintenance and daily upkeep relied upon volunteers (with occasional assistance from Parks & Rec). These volunteers are driven by a sense of privilege in being able to walk the trails with their dogs off leash, even though the city’s leash law, in theory, provides that their activity be deemed ‘illegal’. This left park users in a quagmire of being ‘not illegal’. How confusing might this be for its’ complexity, especially for police enforcement and city government?
Post Depression WPA
In 1934 Roosevelt’s WPA – Works Progress Administration – ‘Edmands project created a log cabin shelter, lake for skating, a dam and spillway, stone walls, log fences, stone fireplaces, cement picnic seats, trails, and an entrance and parking area.’
“The City and Federal Governments shared the expense of the WPA Project. Thousands of dollars were spent, but the structures were not only unused, but were destroyed by the very people whom they were intended to serve. Most of the destruction was by children. By 1952 there was no shelter, the lake had gone down-stream, picnic areas were destroyed and the fences were toppling.” – http://www.edmandspark.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/History-of-Ownership-of-Edmands-Park-Land.pdf
Gradual Deterioration
By 1973 the restoration of the ill fated skating lake was complete with dredging and installation of a polyethylene liner. http://www.edmandspark.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/1970s-meetings-and-clippings.pdf
(scroll down to the third page for the newspaper clipping).
As ironic as it sounds, once again a ‘WPA’ came into play, for in 1983 the Wetlands Protection Act created a 100′ buffer zone for the stream and lake; placing it under the control of the Conservation Commission. Would the WPA regulations have allowed the liner to have been installed 10 years earlier?
The liner remains today underneath what has become a swampy wetland, preventing trees with long tap roots, undermining significant tree canopy, a heat island, neighborhood flooding, and possibly a source of phosphorous discharge into the Charles.
Environmental Justice
Removal of the vinyl liner would require a funding source, CPA, State, Federal?
for Friends of Edmands,
Harry Sanders, President
