Brownfields
Success Story
Monroe Bridge Overlook
(Monroe, MA)
Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts, the tiny town of
Monroe has worked for many years to turn an old mill site on the edge of a
the Deerfield river into a park with with beautiful views for residents and
visitors to the region.
Paper manufacturing began at the former Ramage Paper Mill in 1887 and
continued until 1996. Since then, the mill building had deteriorated
significantly, particularly the wood portion of the mill, where hazardous
building materials were found.
Monroe Bridge and a hydroelectric dam sit next to the mill. Across from the
former mill building that was removed, the public has access to the river
through stairs, a boat slide and a platform. Whitewater rafting companies
offer excursions here to thousands of visitors a year. In addition, independent
rafters and kayakers use the access. The power companies that own the dam
have created and maintained these and other facilities along the Deerfield
River.
The hydroelectric dam releases water for recreation and to protect habitat
from May to October. The condition of the building, potential for further
deterioration and debris falling into the Deerfield River left residents,
business owners and local officials worried about the safety of kayakers and
rafters and also contamination of a waterway that is a main economic driver
for the region.
Priming the Property for Redevelopment
Because of the condition of the wood portion of the mill, the town condemned
the property in 2015. Property taxes had not been paid since 1999 and the
owner was unresponsive. In April 2016, a court order gave the town permission
to enter the building and assess the situation. Using EPA grant funds, the
Franklin Regional Council of Governments conducted an assessment of the
wood structure in May 2016 and found hazardous contamination. The site
contained materials with asbestos as well as other hazardous materials,
including fiorescent light tubes, light ballasts, tires, containers of oils and lead
paint. In July 2016, the town ordered a demolition of the wood structure. The
town voted to take the wood structure portion of the property by eminent
domain and the local Select Board began securing funds and permission to do a
cleanup, which included getting permission from the Massachusetts Historic
Commission. In late 2016, the town voted to keep the site as a park in
perpetuity.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
View of Monroe, pre-1900s (photo credit Town of
Monroe)
EPA Grant Recipient:
Franklin Regional Council of
Governments
Grant Types:
Assessment and Revolving Loan Fund
Current Use:
Public Park
Former Use:
Paper Mill
Ramage Paper Mill site, before cleanup (photo credit
Franklin Regional Council of Governments)
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Cleanup in progress, along edge of river (photo credit
Franklin Regional Council of Governments)
The Town of Monroe, with a population of 120, acquired ownership of the
former mill parcel in December 2016 and the clean-up and demolition was
done in August 2017.
Construction of the park and retaining wall began in June 2018. Franklin
Regional Council of Governments staff worked with the Monroe Select Board
and Monroe Historical Society to create signs telling the history of Monroe
Bridge and the former Ramage Paper Mill. The project, including construction
of the Monroe Bridge Overlook and the Depot Street retaining wall, was
finished by July 2019.
"With a population of about 120 people,
the Town of Monroe is truly a rural small
town. Taking on a project of this size and
complexity cannot be done without
partners. We are thankful for our
regional partner, the Franklin Regional
Council of Governments; our state
partner, the Massachusetts Executive
Office of Energy and Environmental
Affairs; and our federal partner, US
Environmental Protection Agency Region
1. This project was decades in the
making, and there is still more to be
done, but the mitigation of hazardous
conditions and the creation of a
wonderful overlook park will allow the
Deerfield River to be protected and
enjoyed for generations to come."
Funds expended or committed to the Town of Monroe for the Ramage Wood
Structure/Overlook Park project:
•	$38,000 assessment and project support funds from the Franklin Regional
Council of Governments as funded by an EPA grant ($26,423) and state DLTA
grants ($11,577)
•	$30,000 grant from the operators of the hydroelectric facility
•	$100,000 subgrant from Franklin regional council's Brownfields Program
(as funded from an EPA grant) for hazardous building assessment, cleanup
and an updated Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.
•	$205,000 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) for demolition, stabilization of foundation,
and to secure the site.
•	$1,037,000 from the MA EOEEA to stabilize the existing embankment for
Depot Street and to construct the Overlook Park, with the Town's
commitment to maintain the park.
Total Project Cost: $1,410,000
Marcella Stafford Gore, Town of Monroe
Administrative Assistant
Then
2015
May 2016
August 2017
July 2019
Now
Property
Condemned
Site
Assessment
Cleanup
Complete
Redevelopment
Complete
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website at www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact
James Byrne at 617 918 1389 or byrne.james@epa.gov
for informational use only no endorsement intended
EPA 901 F 21 Oil
October 2021

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