Above: A look at the upkeep of Cordaville Park and a resident’s desire for the Town to reinvest in it. (images cropped from top DPW video, bottom photos by John Kendall)
Over a year ago, I shared reader John Kendall’s photos and critiques of the southside’s Cordaville Park. (I also included related “perspectives” and questions about Town governance, plus my own photos.)
Early this month, Kendall followed up to provide his update on the situation (with photos). That includes his ongoing concerns and his desire for the Town to reinvest more in park maintenance. I followed up with the head of the Dept. of Public Works to get their side of the story.
Kendall describes the park, established on once “dumpy” property donated by the MBTA, as having been initially well-maintained. But he said that fell by the wayside years ago. As we approach the Town’s Tricentennial, he would love to see the town:
Clean it up, restore it, recognize it as a symbol of the industrial hub that Cordaville once was.
(You can read more about the establishment and history of the park in honor of the former mill area in last year’s post here.)
In late spring of 2025, John Kendall’s complained about Cordaville Park weeds, patchy grass, and dirty benches. At that time, he noted that the DPW picks up trash “once in a while” and checked the trash barrel. But he said cleaning up trash in the park generally falls to him and neighbors and felt that the park suffered from neglect by the Town.
Following the complaints, the Select Board added addressing the park issues to their annual goals. By December 2025, the board’s goal status noted that according to DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff, the issues had been addressed.
In emails to me this summer, Kendall has expressed continued frustration with the DPW about what he sees as neglect. Complaints include issues with damaged and/or “rotting” trees, cracks in paved paths, and benches that need painting. He also says that he and a neighbor continue to pick up trash in the park.
When I reached out to Cundiff he defended:
Mr. Kendall has contacted the Department numerous times over the past three years regarding Cordaville Park and other neighborhood concerns. We have consistently acknowledged his inquiries and, depending on the issue, completed the work, inspected the condition, referred it to the appropriate contractor, or added it to our maintenance schedule. We appreciate Mr. Kendall’s input and concern for the park, and we strive to improve our services where we can.
Cordaville Park is maintained under the Town’s private grounds-maintenance contract. The approximately 0.78-acre site is scheduled for 30 mowings and 11 weedings annually. The contractor also performs trimming, edging, cursory weeding during mowing, and removal of litter and small debris encountered while working. Our Operations Supervisor has been monitoring the contractor and reports that the scheduled weeding has been taking place.
The shrub area along River Road is generally weeded when the trees and shrubs are trimmed, usually once annually around August. The other planting beds are included in the 11 scheduled weedings. Some of those beds also contain established perennials that may resemble weeds during portions of the growing season. . .
The landscaping contractor picks up litter encountered during its work, while DPW staff empties the trash barrel. We appreciate Mr. Kendall and his neighbor picking up incidental litter, but residents should not feel responsible for maintaining Town property.
Below are photos that Kendall shared along with some of his detailed complaints, and more responses from Cundiff to related questions I raised.
Asphalt paths
Kendall took pictures to show examples of Tree roots “lifting the asphalt in the paths creating tripping hazards”.
Cundiff responded:
There are a few localized areas where the pavement has settled and underlying roots are beginning to show through. My understanding is that the park was originally designed with stone-dust paths and was later paved without full reconstruction of the base or root zone. The affected areas will be added to our repair list and monitored. A video of my July 10 inspection is available [below]
Cundiff’s video overview above presents a cleaner park than described by Kendall. However, since it focuses on the path condition, the video doesn’t hone in on some of the other areas where Kendall focused his camera (below). (Although, it does also show the deteriorated lawn that is among the complaints in the last of those listed below.)
“Rotted” Cherry tree
This spring, Kendall informed Cundiff about a broken limb on the cherry tree, worrying that a child would play on it and get hurt. (That appears to be the first photo below from “before”.) Since then, the DPW hacksawed off the limb, but Kendall complains that the “rotted” tree remains standing.
Cundiff responded:
It continues to show live, flowering growth and does not presently appear to pose an immediate hazard. We intend to remove it when higher-priority work allows.
Evergreen trees with broken limbs
Kendall wrote:
In June during brush cutting by the DPW, the operator hit two evergreen trees at the edge of the park and made a mess of them. I provided photos, and the DPW sent someone with a chainsaw to clean things up. Dead limbs still hang in the trees.
Cundiff responded:
Several limbs were inadvertently cut by the Town’s roadside brush-cutting equipment. Once the condition was brought to our attention, staff returned and addressed the affected branches that same day. During my recent inspection, I did not observe any remaining hanging limbs that appeared to present an immediate hazard. I have attached a current photograph showing the condition observed.
Benches
Kendall wrote that Cundiff had promised last year to fit cleaning of the benches into the DPW’s schedule. But since then, he wrote:
The benches were so filthy that a neighbor scrubbed them by hand. They still need paint work.
Cundiff responded:
Our records show that Mr. Kendall previously requested that the benches be cleaned and later reported that they looked better, although I cannot confirm the exact cleaning method used. Their current condition will be reassessed to determine whether additional cleaning or refinishing is appropriate.
“Washed out” Grass and more “broken limbs”
The resident also complained about “washed out areas where there used to be grass, but now are weed covered or bare.” Plus, he said that photos showed some things I couldn’t see. That included broken branches (which he said dark shadows made difficult to see) and a faucet that has been broken for a year.
These weren’t among the issues that I specifically asked Cundiff about. But Cundiff included a relevant wrap-up to responses to the questions I did ask:
The DPW will continue providing routine maintenance and addressing smaller repairs through its operating budget and work-order process.
More significant improvements—such as substantial path reconstruction, widespread tree replacement or broader park upgrades—would need to be evaluated, planned and properly funded through the Town’s capital-budgeting process.
The current landscaping contract expires at the end of 2026 and will be rebid later this year. We will review the maintenance requirements for Cordaville Park as part of that process.
