Seekonk Meadows
The Town of Seekonk, in conjunction with the Seekonk Library Trust and numerous other community groups would like to develop the 8 acres surrounding the library into Seekonk’s first public park. The concept that has been proposed includes developing a wildflower and native plant garden with walkways and benches. An amphitheater has been proposed for outdoor concerts and events.
The park would benefit the town in many ways. It would eliminate an eyesore by converting a former landfill into a passive recreation area. It would be managed open space providing a habitat for birds and wildlife. All trees and shrubs would be native. The gardens would be low maintenance requiring only some weed control, feeding and possibly mulching annually. It would have educational value with all the specimens labeled with both the common and botanical names. Tours could be given to school children with the docents focusing on the plants and the environmental impact of the transformation of this property.
An endowment fund has already been created through the Seekonk Library Trust to augment the maintenance of the park by the town.
Furthermore, the capping of the landfill and the creation of the park would open up access to the Gammino Pond property owned by the Conservation Commission to passive recreation. This property is approximately 60 acres including a 5 acre pond. It is one of the most beautiful public parcels of land in our community.
Tentative Landfill Capping Schedule
| Site Prep | 06/09/08 | to | 06/31/2008 |
| Waste Relocation | 07/01/08 | to | 07/24/08 |
| Vent Work | 07/15/08 | to | 08/15/08 |
| Cap Work | 08/15/08 | to | 08/30/08 |
| Drainage Work | 08/21/08 | to | 09/15/08 |
| Subgrades & Cover | 09/15/08 | to | 10/15/08 |
| Hard Finishes | 09/28/08 | to | 10/30/08 |
| Loam & Seed Finishes | 10/15/08 | to | 11/01/08 |
1/2010 Dinner Dance Success!
The Seekonk Meadows Dinner Dance was held at the Johnson & Wales Inn in Seekonk on Saturday night, January 16, 2010. The Dinner Dance, a fundraiser for the Seekonk Meadows, was coordinated by Jan Parker, the Town of Seekonk’s Town Clerk. The evening was a huge success with over 90 attendees and enthusiastic dancing to the music of the Malloi Band.
Mike Durkay, Chair of the Seekonk Library Board of Trustees, welcomed the group and reported on the progress of developing the Town of Seekonk’s first public park. Phase I of the project is now complete. This month, the construction company completed the project of capping the former landfill. The nine-acre site of the former town dump, located behind the library is now covered with a membrane, 10” of gravel and 10” of loam. Tall grasses and wildflowers have been planted, the fence and gate have been put up and stone dust walking trails are in place.
Now that the construction phase, is complete, the Seekonk Meadows Committee, a ten member volunteer group representing seven different town groups, can begin Phase II, the actual creation of the Meadows. The concept of developing a meadow on top of the abandoned dump began with Ken Lagerquist in 1993, when he was President of the Seekonk library Trust. In 2000, Marc Mazzarelli was contracted with to develop design plans and in 2008 the construction phase of capping the landfill began on the nine acres. The volunteer committee will begin the work of creating the Meadows this month and hopes to have it open to the public by the summer. When complete, the Meadows will have walking trails, picnic tables, benches, a gazebo overlooking the meadows, a children’s play area and an amphitheater for outdoor summer concerts.
The budget for the project is $350,000. To date $120,000, or 40% of the goal has been raised in private donations. The Committee will be working to raise the balance of $210,000 between now and June to be open for the summer. Gifts to support this exciting project can be made payable to the Seekonk Library Trust with a memo line designating the Seekonk Meadows project and sent to the Seekonk PublicLibrary,410 Newman Avenue, Seekonk, MA 2771.
7/2009 Frequently Asked Questions
Seekonk Meadows is a nine acre meadowland of tall grasses and wildflowers. When complete, the vision is for it to have walking trails, picnic tables, benches, a pavillion overlooking the meadows, a children's play area, and an amphitheater for outdoor summer concerts. It will serve as a restful community gathering space for area residents and provide children with opportunities to explore and learn the joys of wildlife and plants. ...More>>>
2/2009 Seekonk Meadows Update
The Seekonk Town Park will be coming to life this Spring. After two decades of wishing and planning, a new Town Park for Seekonk is becoming a reality. The Town of Seekonk, in conjunction with the Seekonk Library Trust, the Library Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Library, the Conservation Committee, the Land Conservation Trust and the Recreation and Youth Commission, are implementing a plan to develop eight acres of land surrounding the library to create Seekonk’s first public park, which will be called Seekonk Meadows. The Meadows will include wildflower and native plant gardens with walkways and benches and an amphitheater for concerts and events. A play area with swings, slides, and climbing equipment has also been included in the planning.
Seekonk Meadows will benefit the town in many ways. The park will convert a former landfill into a passive recreation area. The area will be managed as open space, providing habitat for birds and wildlife, with native trees and shrubs. The gardens will be designed to require minimal maintenance, such as weed control, occasional soil amendment, and annual mulching. Specimens in the gardens will be labeled with common and botanical names. Guided tours will be available for local school children to learn about the flora and fauna of the area and the environmental impact of the transformation of the property.
Capping the landfill and creation of the park will provide access to the Gammino Pond conservation area. This sixty-acre property includes a five-acre pond and is managed by the town’s conservation commission. The area around Gammino Pond is one of the most beautiful in town and is available for passive recreation.
The site has been capped and secured for the winter, paths through the meadows have been outlined, and the library parking lot has been resurfaced. In the spring, the meadows will be planted with wildflowers and fescue grasses. As funding becomes available, the meadows will be further developed with trees and shrubs, a stage for the amphitheater, benches, the play area and a gazebo. If you are interested in making a donation to help bring Seekonk’s first public park to life make your check payable to the Seekonk Library Trust with a note in the memo line stating the Seekonk Meadows park project. Send the check to the Seekonk Public Library, 410 Newman Ave, Seekonk, MA 02771. For more information, please contact Cynthia Corbett, the Friends of the Library’s Park Committee member at cecorbett7@comcast.net.