MCLEAN LAND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The McLean Land Management Committee (LMC) was created by Memorandum of Agreement between the Town of Belmont and the McLean Hospital Corporation. The Committee is comprised of eight members equally divided between the two entities.
Through May, the Committee enjoyed the expert staff support of Tim Higgins, Senior Planner for the Town. In addition, the cooperation and assistance of Wes Ward of The Trustees of Reservations continues to be invaluable. The Committee is charged with administering the 119 acres of public open space resulting from the McLean redevelopment. We continue to benefit from the contributions and attention of many devoted Belmont residents who actively participate at our meetings.
2005
In July of 2005, McLean Hospital transferred the open space zone land to the Town of Belmont. A small deed ceremony was held with various entities that helped over the many years. In addition, the DEP ruled that Junction Brook was an intermittent stream at the point in prior dispute, clearing the way for the American Retirement Community development to proceed. The Cosman family gift of $100,000 to the Town for the preservation of the McLean Open Space was also executed in exchange for their acquisition of a small sliver of land as dictated in the Memorandum of Agreement.
Committee Work Completed 2005:
The north meadow “debris piles” issue has been satisfactorily resolved. Reseeding of the area was completed for the third time (by McLean), this time to the general satisfaction of TTOR representatives.
Working in cooperation with the Cemetery Commission, the Land Management Committee authorized the mowing of the Great Meadow around One Tree Hill and the Heart-shaped Meadow (in the inactive cemetery zone covered by Conservation B2) in the late fall. Some additional funding was secured from the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund to complete the job. The results are nothing short of magnificent! Volunteer efforts led by Roger Wrubel with Gene Record, Dix Campbell, Martha Moore and Ellen Cushman helping to label trees and plant material to be saved have preserved some wonderful specimens, while eliminating the poison ivy and buckthorn that had so overtaken the acreage. The Committee will be making some decisions over the winter regarding its efforts to reclaim and restore these beautiful meadows.
The Committee approved the design and installation of a memorial bench in the name of Judy Record on the site adjacent to One Tree Hill. Installation has not yet occurred due to weather constraints.
The Committee has begun analysis of the trails around the site, their conditions, users and impacts. We are grateful for the offer of a financial grant by the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund to engage a trail consultant to complete this work. Decisions regarding the uses of the trails will continue to require significant public input. Enforcement of regulations and restrictions will continue to be a major focus of the discussion.
Committee Work for 2006:
Trail decisions are to be made, including developing policies and regulations, day to day management, neighbor relations and impacts, hours of access, orientation and signage, parking access and enforcement practices among others.
Respectfully submitted,
Ellen O’Brien Cushman, Chairman
Carla Moynihan, Martha Moore and Richard Pichette representing the Town and Michele Gougeon, Stephen Kidder, Andrew Healy, Frank Keefe from McLean
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