Newton Wins $400K Grant For Upper Falls Greenway, Intersection

NEWTON, MA — The state just awarded Newton a $396,000 MassWorks grant to go toward an extension for the Upper Falls Greenway rail trail and an update to an intersection in Upper Falls, not far from the proposed site of a major development.

Gov. Charlie Baker, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and other officials announced the grant inside an old mill building next to the Greenway on Thursday, referencing the proposed 800 unit Northland project slated for a block away on a 22-acre site the two projects would compliment. Just before the announcement dozens of people stood outside with signs both for and against the project.

"Oh gosh, did they have to negotiate with our city councilors, it really changed," said Fuller on the Northland project proposal. "It downsized. It right sized, and they listened and listened and listened to the neighbors here. It has housing that's affordable and age friendly, a sizeable commercial component that includes the preservation of old mill building they created 1,500 jobs."

She also put a spotlight on the free shuttle the developer plans to provide to taxi visitors to the area back to the Newton Highlands MBTA stop.

"The [nearly] $400,000 we're putting into the Greenway project and Pettee Square is exactly the sort of thing we like to do as a compliment to enhance a significant development project, where in this case you're talking about $500 million initiative," said Baker.

Half of the grant money will go toward designing an extension to the Upper Falls Greenway that would pick up the mile rail-trail where it ends on Easy Street and extend it about a quarter of a mile behind National Lumber through a congested area.

"It is a really important connection because it ends at Easy street, and bikes and pedestrians have to walk out to Easy Street," said Barney Heath director of the Newton Planning and Development department. "This connection allows you to get on the other side of the intersection with Needham and Winchester."

Heath said this allows a pedestrian connection to the Highlands T stop and will tie into the planned state renovation of Needham Street, set to include bike lanes and expanded sidewalks.

The other half of the money will go toward designing a "refresh" of the Pettee Square intersection of Oak and Chestnut streets a block from the proposed 22-acre Northland project and along the Greenway. Design might include new traffic signal replacements, new pavement, possibly elevated sidewalks, Heath told Patch. a block from the proposed Northland Newton development.

"We have made a concerted effort here in Newton to address our intersections and to make them safer," he said.

In the coming days the city will finalize details of the grant with the executive office of housing and turn to the through bidding process to procure an engineer then start looking for a conceptual design for both and then get them ready to be bid on. That process could take about a year, according to Heath.

But the money will only cover the design phase. The city will need funding to move beyond that to construction, he said.

"It's our anticipation we may go well back for MassWorks funding for the construction end of this," said Heath, adding that if the Northland project passes the city might look to them to help match the cost.

"In special permit, one of the identified mitigation piece was $5 million for various transportation projects, both of these projects fall into that bucket," said Heath.

The Upper Falls Greenway cuts through Newton Upper Falls and there have been movements in the past to connect it with the Bay Colony Rail Trail farther southwest, and for the eventual extension of the Upper Falls Greenway over the Charles River to meet that trail in Needham.

Activist and arts advocate Jerry Riley who has been part of a push to expand the Greenway for years applauded the grants saying they add to valuable community space.

"In our neighborhood, it's been a huge thing," he said of the Greenway which became a park about a half dozen years ago. "Over the years since it's been built it's become our fitness center; It's our dog park; It's our social club; It's our art gallery," he said. "But the two things it's done that I love is; it's got people walking and talking, two things that are really near and dear to my heart."

The grant comes as MassDOT is set to invest $30 million to redesign Needham Street.

Watch the whole announcement courtesy of NewTV's Newton News:

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).