The Pond Hockey Portal!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Hockey rink in Dedham approved
Construction on a new East Street hockey rink will begin this week now that the project has been cleared by the town.
The Conservation Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to issue a permit for the rink proposed to go in the old Eastern Metal and Mystic Studios warehouse near the Dedham Rotary and Rte. 128.
Conservation Agent Don Yonika said the rink's design met or exceeded all of the town's drainage and conservation requirements. He commended the owner and developer of the rink, Paul Cokinos, for taking steps to improve the property, including ridding it of debris that had collected over the decades.
Yonika said people had used the woods in back of the building near Little Wigwam Pond to illegally dump cars, oil tanks, televisions, auto parts, tires and used diapers that have never been removed.
In addition to cleaning up the site, Cokinos has agreed to provide public access to Little Wigwam Pond during the rink's hours of operation for fishing in the summer and ice-skating in the winter.
The rink building will include an 18,000 square-foot NHL-size rink, a 7,500-square-foot practice rink, six locker rooms, a snack bar and a small shop providing hockey supplies and skate sharpening.
Water for plantings and landscaping on the site will be collected from the roof of the building by a cistern system. To conserve water, the building will use waterless urinals and sensor activated faucets. Cokinos has agreed to contribute $5,500 to the Dedham-Westwood Water District to offset the water he expects the building will use.
"It seems like a great project executed with a lot of concern for the town," said Commissioner William Pardee.
Chairman William Gorman said the rink was a rare large-scale project that did not involve a lot of "gnashing of teeth" over conservation issues.
On Wednesday the Planning Board signed off on the plan with the condition that users of the rink be off the property by 12:15 a.m. each night.
The board earlier reached an agreement with Cokinos to close off access to the rink from Appleton Lane.
Cokinos said after the Conservation Commission hearing that he expected to begin construction at the end of this week. He said he hoped to have the rink up and running by the end of September.
The new rink is expected to be the home of the Dedham High School girl's hockey program, The Charles River Girl's Hockey Program, the St. Moritz Devils youth program and the New England Senior Hockey League.
The Planning Board last week also approved the site plan for a new 11,300-square-foot Walgreen's drug store at the corner of Providence Highway and Elm Street. The store will be built on land currently being used as a parking lot by Dedham Savings Bank.
The Conservation Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to issue a permit for the rink proposed to go in the old Eastern Metal and Mystic Studios warehouse near the Dedham Rotary and Rte. 128.
Conservation Agent Don Yonika said the rink's design met or exceeded all of the town's drainage and conservation requirements. He commended the owner and developer of the rink, Paul Cokinos, for taking steps to improve the property, including ridding it of debris that had collected over the decades.
Yonika said people had used the woods in back of the building near Little Wigwam Pond to illegally dump cars, oil tanks, televisions, auto parts, tires and used diapers that have never been removed.
In addition to cleaning up the site, Cokinos has agreed to provide public access to Little Wigwam Pond during the rink's hours of operation for fishing in the summer and ice-skating in the winter.
The rink building will include an 18,000 square-foot NHL-size rink, a 7,500-square-foot practice rink, six locker rooms, a snack bar and a small shop providing hockey supplies and skate sharpening.
Water for plantings and landscaping on the site will be collected from the roof of the building by a cistern system. To conserve water, the building will use waterless urinals and sensor activated faucets. Cokinos has agreed to contribute $5,500 to the Dedham-Westwood Water District to offset the water he expects the building will use.
"It seems like a great project executed with a lot of concern for the town," said Commissioner William Pardee.
Chairman William Gorman said the rink was a rare large-scale project that did not involve a lot of "gnashing of teeth" over conservation issues.
On Wednesday the Planning Board signed off on the plan with the condition that users of the rink be off the property by 12:15 a.m. each night.
The board earlier reached an agreement with Cokinos to close off access to the rink from Appleton Lane.
Cokinos said after the Conservation Commission hearing that he expected to begin construction at the end of this week. He said he hoped to have the rink up and running by the end of September.
The new rink is expected to be the home of the Dedham High School girl's hockey program, The Charles River Girl's Hockey Program, the St. Moritz Devils youth program and the New England Senior Hockey League.
The Planning Board last week also approved the site plan for a new 11,300-square-foot Walgreen's drug store at the corner of Providence Highway and Elm Street. The store will be built on land currently being used as a parking lot by Dedham Savings Bank.
