By MATT PHILLION
Beverly Citizen

Another piece of what will eventually be one continuous walking path along Beverly’s waterfront has been laid down. The city and the Cummings Center recently unveiled a 400-foot boardwalk, a land bridge on the so-called " Lower Shoe Pond, " as part of a program to open public access to the city’s waterways.

" Ultimately, we want to go from McKeown Elementary School (on Balch Street) to the pier (on Water Street), where the Hannah (reconstruction) will be, " said John Frates, chairman of Beverly’s Harbor Management Authority. " The boardwalk was a big segment of that. "

Cummings Properties has promised to provide benches and install lighting along the boardwalk, as well.

It’s been a piece-by-piece project. Last year, the ribbon was cut at on end of the walk at the McKeown school. A new footbridge was dubbed the " Shoelace Footbridge, " last year, by Rachel Kalman, a Beverly student and winner of the naming contest.

For all the fanfare, however, Shoelace Footbridge has remained locked up since it didn’t connect to anything. The boardwalk and bridge will eventually meet. The city is waiting on permission from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to work around a sandbar that lies between the two structures. The sandbar formed on its own as sediment shifted in the pond.

" Even though [the sandbar] was created through manmade materials, we still need the DEP’s permission before moving the sandbar, " said Frates.

Unofficially named the " Hannah Highway " (after the first Revolutionary War ship in Gen. George Washington’s navy that was commissioned in Beverly), the envisioned path will stretch from the McKeown school to the new boardwalk at the Cummings Center; then it will cut across Elliott Street, through the Bass Haven Yacht Club and along Water Street through Innocenti Park until it reaches the Bass River past the new pumping station.

The hope is that the walk will eventually accommodate walkers all the way along the waterfront, hemming Goat Hill and the so-called " Ventron " site on Congress Street to Tuck Point at the east end of Water Street. An additional desire is to direct walkers across the Bridge Street bridge, along the Green Hill property that was recently purchased by the city, and back to Elliott Street in a loop.

Law demands access

While private businesses own segments along the walkway, a Massachusetts law makes provisions to ensure pedestrians have a right to walk along the water.

" The public is entitled to walk through any filled tidal lands. Some of those places are very well documented, " said Frates, alluding, in part, to the Cummings Center. " In order for the owner to get a license, they have to agree to allow public access. "

The law allows for up to a 10-foot width of walking space for access. The Cummings Center provided the full 10 feet for the entire 400-foot span. In addition, the Cummings Center will also allow those walking the path to use their indoor facilities, including public restrooms. The path also passes by a coffee shop and restaurant.

To move things along, the Harbor Management Authority has been going through the process of applying for a Seaport Authority Grant. Provided through the Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council, these grants focus on improvements to designated port areas in the state, of which Beverly Harbor is one of the few.

Acquiring the grant is a significant process, requiring feasibility studies and full project proposals. If the grant is awarded, the city would need to provide a 25 percent matching grant.

" We’re now a candidate for a larger grant to actually do some physical building, based on an accepted plan, " said Frates.

The city-owned former McDonald’s restaurant building on the waterfront has gone through a number of incarnations since its purchase, from homeless shelter to cruise boat headquarters. The Harbor Management Authority has its own ideas for ways in which the property could be used.

According to Frates, there is a current proposal that suggests tearing down the McDonald’s structure and creating a two-story building in its place. On the first floor would be public restrooms, an ATM, and a small maritime museum. The second floor would, ideally, be a restaurant overlooking the water.

The plan also proposes a wading pool for children outside the new building and, potentially, other kid-friendly attractions, such as playground equipment.

In the long run

Word from the mayor’s office is that while no specific plans for the site have been cemented in place, two restaurant proposals are in the air with regard to the waterfront, and there is significant interest in putting something permanent in place at the McDonald’s site.

" The focus is a long-term solution, " said Mayor’s Aide Robert Valliere. " As opposed to just plugging someone in there. "

There is also a call for more parking near the waterfront. Currently, cars are allowed to park at the former " Creamery " site across Water Street, as well as under the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. Other plans call for satellite parking with busing or valet services to the waterfront.

" We’re trying to attract people to the waterfront, " said Frates.

Work would be done to update the existing pier, replacing pilings and creating handicapped access. The site could possibly be the location for a small cruise-boat or water-taxi operation.

" We can’t guarantee (there will be something at the pier) this summer, but there is a target. It’s long overdue, " said Mayor Thomas Crean.

" It’s going to take a lot of money and a little time, but that’s the ultimate goal, " said Frates.

There are few firm dates set for any of the upcoming improvements. The longstanding plan to create a replica of the Revolutionary War ship " Hannah " has not yet come to fruition. The grant to help fund the project has yet to be awarded. Members of the Harbor Management Authority would like to see the connection between the boardwalk and the Shoelace Footbridge completed soon, but the opening depends on when permission arrives from the DEP.

" These things move very slowly, " said Frates. " I came to Beverly 50 years ago and there were gas and oil tanks by the harbor. Now we have condos. I’m convinced that in the next 50 years we’re going to see all kinds of development along the water. "