NEWBURYPORT — Residents offered divided views on the proposed multimillion-dollar restoration of the Bartlet Mall frog pond during the Newburyport City Council’s April 27, 2026 meeting, debating cost, necessity and potential alternatives.
During public comment, Anita Greenwood, a Newburyport Parks Commission member, urged the council to support the Bartlet Mall frog pond project, saying the pond’s condition should be treated as a public health concern, not simply a maintenance issue.
“This isn’t a maintenance issue. This isn’t about aesthetics. This is about public health,” Greenwood said. “And it’s sitting right in the center of our city.”
Greenwood said the pond, which abuts a playground, contains cyanobacteria, toxins and heavy metals that she said pose a risk to both humans and wildlife, and she cautioned against delaying the project.
“Doing nothing is not an option. Delaying is not saving money,” Greenwood said.
Mark Spencer, who is on the city’s Water and Sewer Commission, said during public comment that he supports improving the pond but questioned the cost of the current proposal.
“There is a plan, I understand, and I’ve read about it, to remediate the pond by dredging, withdrawing the water, capping it and putting in a filtration system. It’s going to be beautiful if you do that,” Spencer said. “It’s going to be beautiful if you do that, it will work, it’s $5.2 million dollars, but I guarantee you it will work.”
Spencer said he knew of a technology that could remediate the pond for less than $100,000.
“It’s a technology that uses a natural method of circulating the water, aerating it, and what that does, it oxidizes all the organic content, converts it to carbon dioxide and drives it into the air, and even very quickly, in a few weeks, that two feet of sediment will be reduced down to almost nothing,” Spencer said.
Also speaking during public comment was Tom Kolterjahn of Federal Street, who said it was important to finally resolve funding for the rehabilitation of the Bartlet Mall frog pond.
“This has been delayed for years and I think it’s about time to resolve it,” Kolterjahn said. “Having a stagnant and toxic pond in the middle of a beautiful park can’t be good for anybody.”
The city council later took up the project as part of the city’s Community Preservation Committee recommendations. Ward 1 Councilor Sharif Zeid said the council was not voting on a bond order that night, but was deciding whether to support the project before a formal bond order returns for approval.
Zeid said the project includes dewatering the pond, drilling a freshwater well, installing a liner, restoring the fountain, installing a pump house and installing a dock. He said the total project cost is about $5.3 million, with a $3.5 million bond expected to come back to the council later.
“A couple weeks ago, we had the $700,000 grant that was accepted and then we have the Mayor Gayden Morrill Foundation contributing about another $700,000,” Zeid explained. “And then you have some sort of a mixture of these things coming together to add up to the $5.2 million dollars in total for the project, which does include a 20% contingency.”
Councilors then discussed the project before voting on whether to support it as a Community Preservation Committee recommendation.
Councilor At-Large Sarah Hall said she was inclined to support the project, but asked city officials to respond to Spencer’s proposal for a lower-cost aeration alternative.
“At this point, I am inclined to support the project,” Hall said. “But we got some 11th-hour information from Mr. Spencer saying that he’s 99.9% certain of this solution that’s only $100,000. So, I would love to hear some type of response to that before we move forward.”
Director of Public Services Kim Turner said she could not speak to the specific equipment Spencer referenced, but said city officials had consulted engineers and limnologists, including one working with the city on the Artichoke reservoirs. Turner said aeration alone could worsen cyanobacteria blooms without the proper chemical treatment and that prior alum treatment at Bartlet Mall had harmed fish and frogs.
Ward 4 Councilor Beth Trach also said she would support the project, but said future CPA funding should be distributed more fairly across the city.
“I am voting for this now, but I expect that in the future other neighborhoods get the same consideration for shared spaces and for investment,” Trach said.
The council voted 10-1 to support moving the Bartlet Mall frog pond project forward, with Zeid opposed. A formal bond order is expected to come before the council at a later date.
