Virtual Public Forum – “A Vision for Willis Woods”
Thursday, November 18 at 7PM
The public is invited to attend a virtual forum “A Vision for Willis Woods” on Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm. This forum is a community conversation about an exciting new open space and recreation opportunity at the intersection of Lynnfield, Middleton, North Reading and Peabody. These four communities, along with the Ipswich River Watershed Association and Greenbelt, Essex County’s Land Trust are partners in this vision project. During this forum attendees will hear about the area, and have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about its future. To join the meeting, attendees can register at mapc.ma/WillisWoodsForum1 .
In August 2021, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) awarded a technical assistance grant to the Town of Lynnfield for the development of “A Vision for Willis Woods”, a regional effort to create a vision, and ultimately a work plan, for hundreds of acres of open space at the intersection of Lynnfield, Middleton, North Reading and Peabody. This aggregate area is comprised of various conservation-owned properties, municipal water district lands, large privately-owned parcels, all adjacent to the Ipswich River and two miles of the former Salem-Lowell Rail Line. The vision plan focuses on perpetual protection and increased passive recreational opportunities on this large collection of contiguous open space.
Middleton residents will have access to the planned Willis Woods Recreational area via a planned sidewalk on Boston Street stretching from where an existing sidewalk ends at Wildwood Avenue to the Ipswich River. Peabody is working on constructing sidewalks that will connect the Independence Greenway to the Ipswich River. The result will be safe pedestrian access stretching from the Middleton Rail Trail to the Independence Greenway and to the future Willis Woods Recreation Areas. The funding for the design of this stretch of sidewalk will be on the November 16 Special Town Meeting Warrant, so please plan to attend and vote for the appropriation of these sidewalk design funds.
To learn more about “A Vision for Willis Woods” please visit: https://www.town.lynnfield.ma.us/willis-woods
