Hopkinton will follow with its own forum at a later date
By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News
staff
The former textile mill and the dam that used to power it
both fell into disrepair after the mill stopped operations in the 1950s. A
large fire destroyed much of the mill building in the ’70s.
A granite shell, rusted mill equipment, and heaps of
burned debris sit on the property, which is now enclosed by a locked,
chain-link fence, and vegetation permeates the dam.
Last year, the Town Council voted to demolish the old building to
create a recreational area but did not take action on the dam.
Proponents of full or partial removal say getting rid of
the dam, the last on the Pawcatuck River, will allow fish to move freely through the
river, restore wetlands downstream, and remove the hazard caused by
current hydraulics at the dam’s base.
Critics, some of whom are homeowners that live around the
river and mill, have voiced concerns about how lowering the water levels above
the dam may affect their wells and their recreation areas.
At the Nov. 14 meeting, stakeholders and residents will have the chance to hear a presentation from an engineering firm about several different options that would result in “varying degrees of change” to the dam, according to assistant town manager Melissa Davy.
After the presentation, members of the public will be
allowed to ask questions.
Although the issues around the mill and the dam have been
ongoing, Davy said this time the town is trying to get more input from its
neighbors in Hopkinton, which shares a border on the banks of the Pawcatuck
River.
Representatives of the Hopkinton Town Council attended
many of the most recent meetings, and a similar forum will be held in
Hopkinton, but hasn’t yet been scheduled.
Davy said the engineering firm giving the presentation,
Fuss & O’Neill, is also offering more options for what can be done with the
dam than it had previously.
“We want to make sure we are looking at all the different
facets,” she said, and finding a solution that tries to address as many of the
concerns as possible.
The forum is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. in Westerly
Library’s auditorium.
Davy noted the town does have a webpage with more information about
the mill and dam and an email, potterhillmill@westerlyri.gov, where
members of the public can direct questions.
