ATHOL — The next step in the redevelopment of the Rabbit Run Rail Trail will take place on Tuesday.

A meeting of the Open Space and Recreation Review Committee will be held at Town Hall in room 21 at 4:30 p.m. and also shown via Zoom. During this meeting, representatives from Howard Stein Hudson will discuss a feasibility study for the project. This study, which will be completed at the end of the month, outlines the four-phase process for building the six-mile trail.

Subsequent to Tuesday’s presentation, the study will be uploaded to the Rabbit Run Rail Trail web site: https://tinyurl.com/mvsuka4y.

The committee last met with Howard Stein Hudson in October, when they unveiled the proposal for the trail, which would run from the New Salem town line to downtown Athol. Howard Stein’s services were secured with a $32,000 Mass Trails Grant, coupled with a $10,600 match from the town.

Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said it’s likely the southernmost section of the trail would be the first portion to be worked on.

“The Rabbit Run Railroad, of course, used to go from downtown all the way to the Quabbin,” he said. “The Bidwell property is the logical point to start and going south. North has a host of challenges; there’s been development on some of the old Rabbit Run right-of-way, and there’s no town ownership. One option might be a sidewalk or bike path on South Athol Road, but that’s something we need to look into further.

Smith said that following Tuesday’s presentation, the town can look at costs and determine if an application should be made for a Mass Trails grant.

“We’ll definitely need to do more surveying and design work,” Smith said. “And there are some private properties where we’ll need to secure either a trail easement or try to get ownership of for different segments.”

Smith said securing grants to fund the first phase of the project will need backing from townspeople, as these usually require some kind of match from the applicant. He added that applications are usually due near the beginning of February and the funds released in the fall.

“If it’s going to be for design and surveying work, it’s going to have to be a cash match,” he said. We’re going to have to figure out those details over the next few months.”

Athol receives funds for Bearsden, Newton trails

Recently, it was announced that Athol was among those communities to receive a 2023 Mass Trails Grant of nearly $60,000—paired with a municipal match of over $19,000—to improve trail utilization, access and parking areas in the Bearsden and Newton Conservation areas. The Bearsden Conservation Area is 10 miles of trails crisscrossing 1,568 acres of forest, some climbing hills with views of the Millers River and mountains.

Work to these two areas include construction of a new 800-foot trail, expansion of the parking area at Newton Reservoir, clearing and pruning of more than 14 miles of trails, placement of wayfinding and accessibility signage in parking areas, erosion remediation along the Deep Cut Bypass Trail, and a reworking of runoff from Bemis Hill.

The grant is one of 68 trail improvement projects statewide receiving a total of $11.6 million through the Mass Trails Grant Program.

A release from the Healey-Driscoll administration stated, “Across Massachusetts, these projects will expand and connect the state’s network of off-road, shared-use pathways and trails to use for recreation, exercise, and environmentally friendly commuting.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.

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