Published May 20, 2020

LYNNFIELD HIGH SCHOOL junior Michael Madden stands at the Littledale Road entrance to the Pine Hill Lot. He has been working on creating a cross-country trail in the lot for his Eagle Scout project. (Courtesy Photo)

LYNNFIELD — Construction of a cross-country trail on the Conservation Commission’s Pine Hill Lot is on schedule and should be ready for the Lynnfield High cross-country teams to use this fall.

Conservation Commission Chairman Paul Martindale said a proposed trail project has been discussed for many years, but execution has largely been stymied by the magnitude of the effort to define and clear an appropriate cross-country path. However, the last two years have ushered in new circumstances.

In early 2019, Lynnfield High junior Michael Madden, a member of Boy Scout Troop 48, approached Planning and Conservation Director Emilie Cademartori with a proposal for his Eagle Scout project to develop a cross-country trail in the Pine Hill Lot. Coincidentally, Cademartori had been involved in the development of a cross-country trail while working at the Academy at Penguin Hall. Cademartori met with cross-country team head coach Joe DiBiase and assistant coach Bill Wallace to rough-sketch a viable trail. With interest from the school and with a suitable path identified, Madden’s Eagle Scout project proposal was approved by Lynnfield’s Boy Scout Troop 48 District Council in May 2019.

In April 2019, Lynnfield GIS Analyst Patrick McDonald worked with Madden to flag the course and ascertain that the path was within the boundaries of the Pine Hill Lot and not encroaching on any abutters’ parcels. Last June, the commission notified all the abutters of its decision to proceed with Madden’s project. Madden gave an update on the project to the Conservation Commission recently.

“I am very excited about this project,” said Madden. “Cross-country running is a sport for soft surfaces. Unfortunately, Lynnfield is the only high school in the Cape Ann League that runs only on pavement. Since all the other schools in CAL are partially or totally on soft surfaces, we are at a disadvantage training for away meets. We have a lot of student interest in this sport and have done well the past two seasons, winning the 2018 Baker Division CAL Championship, finishing third in the 2019 Division 6 Eastern Massachusetts State Championship and making it to the 2019 All-State meet. Our goal is to incorporate this half-mile loop into our current home course. Although this trail was designed for our cross-country team use, it’s available for all residents to use.”

Pioneers head coach Joe DiBiase is thrilled Madden decided to undertake the project.

“This is great news for our cross-country team,” said DiBiase. “We are the only course left in the CAL that is an all roads course. When I started in 1992, about half the teams in the league had roads courses. Gradually, those schools found trails or woods to run their races on. It will really help Lynnfield cross-country in terms of injury prevention and race preparation. We can’t thank Michael enough for his hard work in this project. It is truly something that will help the town and the Lynnfield cross-country teams for years to come.”

Assistant coach Bill Wallace agreed.

“Joe and I have gone out there a few times to help mark the course,” said Wallace. “I was there the other day and about half of the 0.5 mile trail is marked off. It will be a great addition to both our home course and our training. Anyone who has run cross-country knows how different it is to run on trails. All the other courses in the Cape Ann League are run on trails, so hopefully this will allow us to run those races more prepared for the uneven footing.”

The Pine Hill Lot has almost always had an open space and recreation designation. In 1929, the 9.5-acre parcel belonged to Mirabeau Fresh Air Camp, Inc. It was deeded over to the town in 1960, and at its March 1966 Town Meeting, the town turned over the parcel’s custody and control to the Lynnfield Conservation Commission.

The property has occasionally been eyed for development. In 2002, the town hired MassAudubon to assess the wildlife habitat and recreation value of the property. As part of its report, it was noted that, “The site has excellent potential for a walking trail…and is the closest publicly-accessible open space for almost 200 homes in the surrounding neighborhood.”

Lynnfield’s 2002 Master Plan Vision for Lynnfield stated that, “Open spaces will be prioritized, preserved, and made accessible to all residents for both passive and active recreation as well as for the protection of natural habitat.” Lynnfield’s 1998 Open Space and Recreation Plan established a goal of expanding “active and passive recreation,” which was supported by resident survey data. The 2010 Open Space and Recreation Plan identified the important action items “manage and improve existing open space including trail creation, rehabilitation, signage and boardwalk repair,” and “provide and/or improve public access to open space areas” summarized from resident survey data.

At its September 2018 ConCom meeting, Lynnfield Girl Scout Gold Award recipient Lucy Madden presented the findings of her project – the development and reporting of the town-wide open space survey, as part of the work required to update Lynnfield’s 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan. Based on resident survey data, one of the top five recommendations was to “clear some paths in the Pine Hill Lot to be used for walking trails, and possibly as part of the Lynnfield High School cross-country route.” The action plan for the 2020 Open Space and Recreation Plan includes completion of this route.

“The Conservation Commission is very grateful to both Michael and Lucy Madden for making this recreational space a reality,” said Chairman Paul Martindale. “The households surrounding this Pine Hill area will now have access to a beautiful upland area that will be preserved for generations and our cross-country teams will finally have an off-road area for running. It services our open space conservation goals by providing important recreational access for residents while preserving all the benefits of open space and wildlife habitat.”