Town of Athol Athol, MA

Bidwell Site Master Plan

The Bidwell Site was formerly used for agricultural and logging purposes; it comprises approximately 100 acres of undeveloped forestland, the Millers River, Rabbit Run Rail Trail, and an on-site agricultural barn that is in a state of disrepair.  A community-wide planning process was employed to inform the recommendations identified in this plan. A panel of local experts on conservation, open space, business, and real estate provided multiple perspectives on the future potential of the Bidwell Site from a local scale and within the greater context of the region.

BSC conducted an “open house” style public engagement session where attendees could move to various stations around the room, review maps and visual graphics, and interact with the consultants, town employees, and other attendees. Based on the feedback received during the public engagement process, the project team prepared a report with three potential site redevelopment concepts ranging from passive recreation to active recreation to a mix of housing and recreational uses and made a final presentation to the community.