Quechee
The two access gates to the upper level of the town-owned, two-tiered park will be opened “as soon as possible,” according to an update from the Hartford Parks and Recreation Department.
Construction on the small park, which lies near the Quechee Covered Bridge on Main Street, was substantially completed in advance of a November ribbon cutting ceremony, but it was only open for a few days before winter weather arrived.
The same dramatic Ottauquechee River waterfall that draws tourists and residents to the spot also covers the park in a more-or-less constant spray of water droplets that can, in cold weather, coat the concrete flooring in a slick layer of ice.
Quechee resident Laurie-Helise Heijn said on Tuesday that she feels the town is overestimating the risk.
“I understand the town’s concerns, but I think perhaps they are being overly cautious, maybe because of fear of someone suing them,” she said. “Considering that the weather is getting warmer now, I think the park should be open.”
Town officials have characterized this first year of operation as an opportunity to learn.
“As we learn more about how the sidewalks and the area reacts to the weather changes, we will have a better handle on how we go about opening and closing the gates and park access,” according to the Hartford Parks and Recreation update. “Most importantly, we want to be sure weather conditions are perfectly safe for public access.”
Access to the park’s lower level is controlled by a gate that lies on the property of Simon Pearce, which is located next door.
That gate was open on Tuesday afternoon, and visitors such as Rachel and Nick Seward, of Keene, N.H., spent time enjoying the lower level of the park with their two young daughters.
“It’s cool to see the intensity of the water,” Rachel Seward said.
The gate is controlled by the Town of Hartford, which says the gate was unlocked due to a problem with the locking mechanism.
Soon after the town closed the park in November because of the advance of freezing temperatures, officials learned that the fasteners anchoring a railing on the upper level were not working properly and needed to be replaced, according to Hartford Parks and Recreation Director Scott Hausler.
“It was recommended that we keep it closed until the rail fasteners are connected and secure for safety purposes,” Hausler said on Tuesday, adding that there are a handful of minor punch-list items that still need to be checked off.
He said the contractor has not yet set a date to return to complete the work at the site, leaving Hausler unable to establish a firm timeline for the opening of the park.
A gate in the chain-link fence facing the intersection of Waterman Hill Road and a guardrail also are in need of repairs, thanks to what officials believe are two separate car crashes that went unreported, according to Town Manager Leo Pullar.
“That corner does get icy in the cold weather, so it is probably fair to say there will be other accidents,” Pullar said. “Can’t say how many or when, but we won’t say they will never happen.”
However, he added, “there were none there the previous winter.”
A roughly 2-foot section of the fencing was stretched, with one break in the thick wire strands, and the gatepost was not in alignment with the gate.
On the guardrail, the first four support posts were broken and lay at odd angles.
Pullar said the town has filed an insurance claim for the car crash damage, which has been estimated at $2,040 for the fence, and $2,242 for the guardrail.
The park was built on the site of a building that was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011; the Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed funds to the project, which further delayed the lengthy planning process.
Leaders of the Quechee Lakes Landowners Association, who said the park was needed to prevent the eyesore from depressing tourist counts and lowering property values, pushed for a speedy resolution to the project, even as some taxpayers balked at the project’s price tag.
In February, Pullar reported to the Hartford Selectboard that the park project was on track to be completed a bit under the $415,000 budget, with $393,0000 expended and few remaining costs. The contractor was Windsor-based Willey Construction.
Earlier this month, Pullar advised the Selectboard that it soon would be time to give the park an official name.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.
Clarification
An Quechee pocket park access gate that is located on the property of Simon Pearce is controlled by the Town of Hartford, which says the gate was unlocked last week due to a problem with the locking mechanism. An earlier version of this story was unclear about who controlled the gate.