Mill Brook Corridor & Wellington Park Schematic Designs & Environmental Restoration Planning
The Town of Arlington selected Weston & Sampson to provide schematic designs for Wellington Park, including feasibility studies and environmental restoration planning for the revitalization of the adjacent linear corridor along the underutilized Mill Brook. Funding for this project was provided through a Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant in part so that it might serve as a case study for possible improvements that could be replicated elsewhere along the Mill Brook Corridor in Arlington and beyond.
Weston & Sampson provided a range of multi-disciplinary services, including landscape architecture, environmental/permitting, geotechnical, and climate resilience. We led a comprehensive community engagement program together with Town representatives, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), and the Arlington community. A clear vision for the area, including the park and one segment of Mill Brook from Brattle Street to Grove Street, was developed. Recommendations were addressed for a brook-side pedestrian path with safe linkages to the Minuteman Bikeway, adjacent streets, neighborhoods, and schools, as well as bank stabilization along the brook. The resulting summary report included potential phasing and cost estimating for future implementation and funding strategies.
For the second phase of this project, Weston & Sampson developed construction documents for the corridor and park improvements, including development of a Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) for invasive species removal and management. In conjunction, and with the goal of contributing positively to the Town’s urban forestry needs and its aim to maximize its green infrastructure town-wide, Weston & Sampson considered the substantial tree canopy coverage along the corridor for its shade, oxygen, and wildlife habit potential.
A flood-storage area at the edge of Mill Brook to help alleviate flooding at Wellington Park was part of the design and construction efforts. This implementation project was funded by a Massachusetts state grant; in 2018, and with Weston & Sampson’s grant writing support, the Town was awarded $400,000 through the Commonwealth’s inaugural Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant Program.