Walter Kelley River Access

The Town of Middlesex, Vermont, is seeking to develop a formal river access point at Walter Kelley Park, a five-acre public space located at the confluence of the Winooski and Mad Rivers, to replace lost access sites and mitigate environmental degradation caused by informal trails to the river. The project aims to construct stairs and ramps to provide safe, universal access to the water for fishing, canoe portage, and recreational use, while simultaneously reducing erosion, limiting invasive knotweed spread, and preventing contamination from human activity along the riverbank. The Winooski River, known for its slow flow and suitability for recreational use, currently lacks a regulated access point after the destruction of the prior Shady Rill site in the July 2024 floods and the permanent inaccessibility of another FEMA-buyout property. The Walter Kelley Park site was chosen as the only viable alternative for maintaining public river access for Middlesex residents. The project will be implemented through a contract with a not-to-exceed budget of $145,000, funded by the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District with support from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, with payments contingent upon phase completion and approval by WNRCD staff. All work must align with final designs available via the WNRCD website and adhere to green infrastructure principles, including the use of Vermont Conservation seed mix and straw mulch for stabilized areas. The contract requires strict compliance with federal and state regulations, including the Solid Waste Disposal Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, fair employment statutes, and prohibitions on hydrofluorocarbons in materials. Contractors must be registered, not debarred, in good tax standing with Vermont, and carry adequate insurance, including workers’ compensation and liability coverage, with a Certificate of Insurance and W-9 required before contract execution. A mandatory site visit on June 29, 2026, is required for bid eligibility, and proposals must be submitted electronically via email by July 17, 2026, using the official bid sheet provided. All records related to performance will be subject to audit for three years following contract completion, and all deliverables—including engineered design confirmation and post-construction photos—are required for payment and acceptance. The State retains the right to cancel the agreement if appropriations expire or federal funding is withdrawn, and all information is subject to Vermont’s Public Records Act.