New benches installed at Uptown Common

ATHOL – At Tuesday night’s meeting, a cheer went up from members of the Downtown Vitality Committee when Assistant Public Works Director Paul Raskevitz informed them that new benches are being installed at the Uptown Common.

Raskevitz was in attendance to update the committee on several projects that had been discussed at previous meetings.

“We got nine of them,” he said. “We had the money in the budget, and we just decided to go ahead. They’re recycled plastic, but they look like wood, and they have cast-iron frames.”

Raskevitz said each bench costs around $700 and are resistant to vandalism.

Mitch Grosky, the Selectboard’s representative on the DVC, asked about the possibility of commemorative plaques on the benches.

“What we have done before is people were allowed to purchase a bench and dedicate it to someone,” Raskevitz replied. “They paid for the purchase of the bench, they paid for the pad and installation, instead of the town paying for the bench.”

“We got nine of them. We had the money in the budget, and we just decided to go ahead.

Assistant Public Works Director Paul Raskevitz

He said that, in his opinion, a policy would need to be established in order to ensure there was no favoritism relative to who gets to commemorate a bench and those who may not be afforded the opportunity to do so.

“I would think we could meet people halfway on that,” said Grosky. “So if the cost was $800, those who were interested in purchasing a plaque could pay, say, $400 and the town could pick up the other $400.”

Raskevitz noted that two plaques could potentially be attached to the new benches being installed at Uptown Common, as there is a divider in the middle and plaques could be installed on each side.

Raskevitz said that in addition to the nine benches at the Uptown Common, there are three in place at Silver Lake. There are also six flat benches – those with no back – along Main Street. There will be several benches installed at Lord Pond Plaza once the project now underway there is complete.

“These benches are wonderful around town,” said Grosky. “It’s nice to be able to go to Silver Lake and sit down and enjoy the view. And downtown, I think it makes a town more livable when you can stop and just relax.”

Moving onto the other matters, Raskevitz told the committee that there are funds available through the state’s Complete Streets program for the installation of solar-powered flashing beacons at crosswalks along Main Street.

“We have approval for eight more sets,” he said. “They’re about $10,000 a pop. When we started putting them in four years ago, they were $6,000; and the $10,000 is pre-tariffs. We just need to map out eight different areas in the downtown area that are within our Complete Streets proposal.”

Raskevitz reminded the committee that MassDOT will be resurfacing Main Street from the South Main Street Bridge to Athol High School next year. The project is one of several included in the state’s Municipal Pavement Program, which will spend $50 million in 45 communities across the commonwealth over the next two years. Work is expected to get underway in early 2026.

Asked by committee member Steve Wills if the work will include upgrades to the sidewalks along Main Street, Raskevitz replied in the negative.

“We had our first kickoff meeting with MassDOT the other day, and of course (DPW Director) Dick Kilhart and I tried to work in a bunch of other stuff we wanted to see happen,” Raskevitz said. “They repeatedly stopped us and said, ‘This is a pavement resurfacing project only.’”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.