Maggie’s Pond Paths Upgraded at Greensboro Nursing Home
Equipment was used to upgrade the existing trail from Maggie’s Pond to the Greensboro Nursing Home, in the background.
The path construction process on the trail from Maggie’s Pond consisted of three layers with crushed stone and roll of geotextile fabric.
Equipment removed paving stones on the path to Maggie’s Pond to prepare the surface for crushed stones.
by Bobbie Nisbet, Community Journalist
GREENSBORO — In the early 1990s, Bill and Rusty Hill donated money to Greensboro Nursing Home (GNH) to build a pond in memory of their mother, Maggie Stabell. The pond provided a place where residents and their families could enjoy picnics, cookouts, fishing and a quiet place to reflect. The fireplace built near the pond provided many wonderful meals.
Over the years, the paths and fireplace fell into disrepair. The railings around the viewing platform were deteriorating and out of code.
In January of 2020 the board of trustees began to discuss how to upgrade the walking path. The upgraded path would provide a safe walking area for the residents of GNH and could, in the future, be extended to the village center of Greensboro.
In May of 2020 the board received a grant from the Community Foundation for a feasibility study for the upgrade and possible extension of the walking path. Once the grant was received, the board contacted Timber and Stone, LLC, in Montpelier to walk the land and provide a design for the upgrade and extension.
In August 2020 the project quote received from Timber and Stone provided an extensive plan of reconstruction and construction of two segments: a 510-foot segment to Maggie’s Pond and another 680-foot segment, referred to as Hillside View Trail, along the flat area behind the nursing home.
The plan was accepted and the various permits needed to be obtained. A wetland permit was needed as the nursing home is in a very wet section of town. Once obtained, with clear boundaries so as not to disturb the wetlands, an Act 250 permit was needed. After extensive documentation was collected the permit was approved, on its first draft, in May of 2021. All of this was accomplished despite the additional challenges imposed by the COVID epidemic. The 2021 building season was already underway, so the beginning of construction would be put off until June of 2022.
The board made the decision to complete only the Maggie’s Pond portion of the walking path at this time. The Maggie’s Pond path is currently nearing completion and will be celebrated this summer with fun, food and music.
[Bobbie Nisbet is a member of the Greensboro Nursing Home Board of Trustees.]
