The Hudson Conservation Commission opened their March 10 meeting with a presentation from John Picard and James Fisher from Pelham, both of whom were interested in working to complete a trail that would end in Hudson.
“One of the things we’ve been talking about for years in Pelham is to re-open the trolley bed that goes through Raymond Park and exits out on Gibson Road in Hudson,” said Picard, who was active in his local Trails Committee. “The majority of the trail is Pelham, but the last 600 feet is in the town of Hudson. That’s why we’re here tonight. We’re seeking your permission to let us back in there. It’s kind of all overgrown.”
There were a few questions from the Hudson side.
“Do you guys have any insurance?” asked Town Engineer Elvis Dhima. “You don’t have to answer it right now, but it’s something you should think about.”
Fisher expected to have insurance when working on trails due to his affiliation with Pelham’s Board of Forestry. The pair promised to double-check before starting any work in Hudson, saying Pelham town officials wanted to keep the process as straightforward as possible.
“I’m just one vote on Forestry,” said Fisher. “But I got permission from our chair and from our conservation commission to get some input, to put out some feelers and see where it lands.”
According to Picard, the rail trail will follow an undeveloped part of a streetcar system that once connected Pelham, Nashua, Hudson, Lowell, and Salem. The system declined in the 1920s as cars gained popularity. Sections of the old trolley line that have not been built over still serve as a public right of way.
“Most of the trolley bed is long gone due to development, but one in this particular section, the railroad bed is still intact,” Picard explained. “It’s just been neglected over the years.”
The first step of their plan involved “cutting it back open” to see how viable the area might be for bike and foot traffic.
“We don’t want to open it up to vehicles and so on,” clarified Fisher.
Hudson’s Town Engineer looked up the track bed to confirm it was mostly empty apart from a handful of nearby homes.
“Is it currently accessible right now?” asked Dhima. “Do you plan to access it from our side to clean this?”
Picard stated it was possible for a determined hiker to “get in about 150 to 200 feet,” before running into extensive overgrowth on the Hudson side, along with several fallen trees. He added that overgrowth removal could be approached from either Pelham or Hudson.
“Do you guys want any help if we decide to do this?” asked Conservation Secretary Chris Cameron.
The pair confirmed they would not refuse help if and when things got going.
The Conservation Commission asked Pelham to watch for invasive species and made it clear they wanted the new trail closed to ATVs but were otherwise supportive of the proposal. Its members unanimously voted to support the trial.
