Gateway to the Greenway and the Coonamessett Greenway Heritage Trail
Location: Coonamessett River, Lower and Middle Bog Areas
Applicant: Conservation Commission and The 300 Committee Land Trust
Allocation: $614,500
Year/Article: April 2019, A35
The third phase of the Coonamessett River Restoration Project, undertaken with The 300 Committee, is to engineer and construct an open-air amphitheater in the Lower Loop area between Dexter’s Mill Crossing and Swift’s Crossing, as well as provide engineering services for a parking area for Gateway Park. The proposed amphitheater will be constructed using historic granite blocks and covered by a “clamshell-like” roof. Its design provides opportunities for uses related to passive recreation, including a public gathering place, sitting, picnicking, and photography. It will provide shelter from inclement weather as well as a river overlook. This phase of the project will indeed promote outdoor recreational pursuits which take place on open land in its relatively natural state.
Phase 3 was successfully completed in 2021 and a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in October 2021. In 2022, the Coonamessett River Restoration project was awarded the Environmental Business Council (EBC) Nicholas Humber Award for Outstanding Collaboration Award in recognition of the project partnership spanning local, state, and federal organizations who collaborated with technical engineering and construction teams to successfully complete the project. The EBC states that “the restoration is serving as a catalyst for other Cape Cod communities to transform former cranberry bogs across the region into thriving wildlife habitat and educational and recreational opportunities for all.
