Not many residents remember the active trash disposal facility on Carlisle Road, known informally as the town dump.
About a half-century has passed since environmental law began changing the trash disposal culture, and the accompanying person-to-person political campaigning there.
The site evolved from open burning to a sanitary landfill, which was eventually capped, to a repository for fallen branches and yard waste. Some of that material is converted to compost by Department of Public Works staff, and the dump became known to a new generation as the Carlisle Road compost center.
The site, a little more than five acres in area, will soon be the focus of a study considering a smorgasbord of potential municipal uses, including installation of a photovoltaic power station to generate solar energy.
The Select Board Monday took the first step toward the realization of at least some of this vision, approving a $50,000 contract with the engineering firm Weston & Sampson for a feasibility study at what is now known officially as 108 Carlisle Road.
This study was part of the fiscal 2023 capital article approved by annual town meeting.
Town Manager Sarah Stanton said the firm will “really look at what’s appropriate at 108 Carlisle Road and what are our potential options. The analysis and potential upgrade are part of the town’s six-year capital plan, she noted.
Facilities Director Taissir Alani said there will be an assessment of “just about everything on the site.” He said there are eight tasks delineated in the contract, and the result will be three choices for schematic design.
“Toward the end of the year we will present options to you as we move to the design phase,” Alani said. “We will be ready to move on to the next phase after the study.”
The first task is site assessment and investigation, covering not only geological information and a history of uses but also the proximity of wetlands.
The seventh task is a geotechnical investigation, concentrating on subsurface conditions. “Due to the presence of the capped landfill and adjacent wetlands it will be important to understand the geotechnical properties of the site, as this can have a significant impact on construction costs,” says the scope of services in the contract. The eighth task is a summary report/master plan, with project cost estimates.
In between are investigations of five continuing or potential uses on the grounds of the site, which now accommodates about t 13,000 square feet of storage buildings.
- Storage of road salt. The designer will look at the potential for a new storage structure as well as “canopy storage possibilities for equipment.” The scope calls for possible relocation of the chemical pre-treatment storage and pumping system to work properly in a new layout.
- “The town is seeking to increase recycling activities at their drop-off center and to consolidate activities that may be handled off-site,” the agreement reads. “This will require additional handling areas, additional storage areas, improved traffic patterns, proper traffic queuing, and additional supporting infrastructure.”
- Vehicle equipment and storage. The town hopes to add storage for off-season vehicles and equipment, including possibly concrete block materials like sand, mulch, and gravel. The engineers will “develop conceptual site layouts to make sure a storage structure is a good fit.”
- Capacity for generating solar energy. The feasibility study will assess the potential capacity for solar arrays, including canopy and ground, and will review interconnection requirements with Eversource. Also on the scope of services are reviewing energy credit programs as well as the potential to install a battery storage power station.
- Installation of a vehicle wash system with an automated undercarriage wash. If feasible, this would replace the wash bay at the DPW garage, 314 The Great Road.
Select Board members’ questions primarily focused on recycling. Shawn Hanegan inquired about hours of operation. “It’s a staffing question,” said Stanton. “Do we have existing staff to adjust and expand and will there be opportunities to have a more dedicated crew at 108?”
Asked by member Margot Fleischman about the impact of the DPW’s current on-line recycling survey, Manugian said the results “will give us some guidance.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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