Residents and community leaders shared ideas at Hoosic River Revival's community conversation on Saturday morning.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Hoosic River Revival will make a decision on pilot program by the end of the year.

The group's President Judy Grinnell said her board will review suggestions garnered during Saturday's mornings conversaton with residents and community leaders as it considers its decision.

"You've been practical, you have been enthusiastic, creative, thoughtful and we are blessed because of that," Grinell said to some of the 85 participants throughout the morning at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center. "It also means a lot of work because you brought up a lot of wonderful ideas we haven't thought about and we are going to take these to our next board meeting and we will talk, at first just generally how wonderful this day was, and then we will talk about our next steps."

 

The group has been working to develop a way to improve the city's connection to the river and economic opportunities and recreational spaces while maintaining safety from flooding. The river has been contained in concrete chutes installed by the Army Corps of Engineers because of excessive and damaging floods in the early part of the last century.

 

Participants were split into three different groups, examining the South, North and main branches of the river with consultants and engineers, and sharing ideas and opinions about the project.

 

"There's a lot of potential, a lot of options," said state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, D-North Adams. "The community can go in quite a few directions, almost as many directions as the river goes."

 

One of the main focuses stressed at the meeting was making sure any proposal connected the branches through pedistrian and bicycle paths.

 

"We all know currently the city isn't the best place for walking to point A to point B," said Kim Seward, a technical writer who volunteered to help HRR. "You can see something pretty easily but to get there you might have a number of barriers in your way."

 

Another concern is balancing green space with taxable space, and how much green space is too much space. Mark Arigoni, landscape architect for Milone & MacBroom, reminded the forum that future economic development on green spaces is still possible.

 

Arigoni also explored the idea that all of these changes don't necessarily have to look natural because the city can embrace it's artistic backround.

 

He also addressed the potential of aquatic life on the North Branch and stated that it's unlikely to happen. However, he said water quality can improve as well a more controlled temperature.

 

The river currently runs too fast through the 60-year-old concrete flood control chutes to support river life.

 

Seward also mentioned that the winter season will be taken into consideration, with the possibility of having a skating rink or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing areas along the river.

 

Jake Laughner, an engineer volunteering for the cause, said the development of the public spaces can also include basketball courts and a skating park, as well as support activity with possible vendors, such as the taco truck.

 

Resident Eric Wilson said he hopes the project ultimately helps businesses and looks forward to a cleaner river area.

 

"I'm for this, it's going to bring people here and help the community," Wilson said. "It's going to be really nice."

 

Grinnell said the nonprofit river group will continue discussion with the Army Corps of Engineers, consult with the city and the Partnership for North Adams (a nonprofit development group) for an economic strategy and to work out the costs, fees, advantages and challenges with local, state and federal agencies as well as seek permitting for the pilot.

 

The board will meet on July 18. For more information on the project, visit hoosicriverrevival.org.