Pawtuxet Park Maintenance Begins
-Susan Hartman and Roy Evans, PVA Board
Anyone that has walked through Pawtuxet Park surely noticed the damaged trees and overgrown limbs that were left unattended for many years. The trees that have grown in the park were mostly those that self-seeded and were not intentionally planted. Given their present size, you can determine there hasn’t been any clear planning or maintenance of these trees in the decades since the park was created.
In our Fall 2024 issue of The Bridge, we outlined the trees that had been identified as safety hazards and our plans for tree trimming and removal that was scheduled for this spring. The work finally took place in February once we obtained permission and approval from the City of Warwick to hire an arborist/tree service.
The PVA was able to fund this major amount of work as we’ve been the beneficiary of several grants awarded by the Palmieri Trust, to whom we are very grateful. This project represents the single largest investment the PVA has undertaken in our long history. And it seems fitting given that the PVA spearheaded the development of this park to be created out of the Aspray Boatyard. The park was first developed under Warwick Mayor Joseph Walsh in 1979. To bring Pawtuxet Park to life, Mayor Walsh gave us significant Community Development money as well as Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Funds and the invaluable support from Warwick City Planning, Community Development, Parks Department, and Public Works—all of whom made the project possible. The City of Warwick still owns the park and the PVA maintains the gardens and plantings and regular cleanups.
For this revitalization, we hired Schwartz Tree Care and Curren Tree Service to undertake the of pruning and removal. This was Phase One of our maintenance plan. As they worked through the park, however, it became clear that many of the trees along the Parkway and near the street were in poor condition and at risk of splitting or simply rotting in the coming years. David Schwartz took a careful calculation of what needed to be removed and determined it was safer and more efficient to use the crew on site to clear the additional trees now rather than later. This stepped us into Phase Two.
We walked the park after the tree clearing process and counted up to 15 stumps that will need to be ground out and removed, allowing for new planting and grass growth over time. Phase Three will be the stump grinding and removal, and the cabling of two trees that have large trunk growth and would benefit from being stabilized.
David wanted to be sensitive to the neighborhood view and keep those trees along the “enclosure” of the park as this helps to define the space. He advised that we keep what is remaining there and consider planting new trees in specific places, using only those varieties that would grow best in our conditions.
The final phase will be the planting of new trees, but we are waiting until the presentation of the master plan with the City of Warwick. Any major work that would take place in the park could potentially jeopardize new trees and their root systems. Recently the City received funds from an OSCAR grant which will enable them to do the engineering design and specs for the park. As federal funds are potentially at risk, the overall master plan execution could be delayed, and we are waiting for updates from the Warwick Planning Department regarding next steps.
Pawtuxet Park is an important community asset, an active public green space utilized by various people and groups year-round. This prime real estate on the Pawtuxet River is important environmentally as it links us with Stillhouse Cove to the north and Pawtuxet Cove to the south. It contributes important green space for the community, and we continue to view this as an integral aspect of our stewardship of Pawtuxet Village. We thank the City of Warwick Public Works Department for their support of this project, and the Palmieri Trust for their generous contributions.
Recommended future species:
London Plane
White Oak
Persian Ironwood
Sourwood
Paperbark Maple
