NORTHAMPTON — For decades, families have used the Mill River near the Orange Dam in Leeds as a summer swimming hole, and neighbors have complained to police about the noise and litter that come with it. Once again this summer, city officials are asking beachgoers to keep noise down and carry out their trash.
As the temperature climbed last Saturday, families and groups of friends could be seen splashing around and diving into the river near the dam, which is owned by art and office supply company Chartpak. A large trash bag with cans, napkins and other waste leaking from a hole in the bottom sat at the base of a sign urging visitors: “Carry out what you carry in.”
On Friday, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, Police Chief John Cartledge, Fire Chief Andrew Pelis and other department heads co-signed a joint statement updating residents on how the city is managing summer recreation problems at the dam.
The statement outlines permanent parking restrictions on sections of Grove Avenue and Front, Florence and Main streets, noting that ticketing and towing are underway as enforcement methods.
“Chartpak has entered into a contractual agreement with a towing company to monitor their lots during hours when they are not operating. This appears to be working,” the city officials wrote.
The joint statement urged members of the public who use the area to clean up after themselves, noting that Chartpak has made its dumpster available for those who wish to remove trash left behind.
Police Capt. Corey Robinson, in an email to the Gazette, explained that while public safety dispatch does not log or document noise or trash complaints at the dam since it is privately owned, dispatch does receive a “fair number of calls” about littering or excessive noise in the recreational area.
Members of the Leeds Civic Association, a neighborhood organization that meets regularly to steward the space, have volunteered to monitor the area and speak with visitors about these issues.
“Residents have made it clear to the city and the community that the levels of noise around the dam, especially, are significantly impacting the quiet enjoyment of their homes,” city officials stated. “Chartpak has committed to hiring police details to monitor the area when officers are available every Saturday and Sunday.”
Christina Sekaer, who has lived near the dam for about eight years, said that while instances of loud bass-centered music have decreased over the last six years, motorcycles continue to use the bike path abutting the Mill River area and bags of trash are still being left behind.
She said the noise hasn’t been as bad this summer, noting that people are swimming and having fun without as much loud music.
“If they’re having fun, no problem … With the loud bass music, if we’re in our house and close the doors, you can feel the vibration in your body. That is very frustrating, but there has been less of that so far this summer,” Sekaer said.
She added that reports of motorcycles speeding past each other on the bike path have led some of her neighbors to no longer allow their children to walk there out of fear of being struck by a motor vehicle.
Sekaer said that she appreciated Chartpak’s decision to put a dumpster in the area, stressing that she believes some sort of supervision or sanitary system would greatly improve the swimming spot.
The city, in its joint statement, remarked that Northampton Police will respond to reports of crimes being committed in the area when “they have available personnel,” but will not respond to noise or trespassing complaints, as “city ordinances generally do not support such enforcement.”
Similarly, the city stated that while fire services will respond to large fires in the area, neighbors should only call 911 to report a true emergency, not simple cooking fires.
“The city has no wish to issue criminal trespassing charges against families swimming in the river, and there is no civil option for the city to invoke on private property,” city officials stated. “Likewise, Planning & Sustainability and the Conservation Commission are not undertaking enforcement actions but will alert Police and Fire [and] Rescue when necessary.”
City Council President Rachel Maiore, in an interview Tuesday, explained that while she has received roughly three or four calls from residents complaining primarily of litter on some of the hottest days this summer. However, she noted that reports of loud music or littering at the dam have largely subsided since their peak during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maiore said Chartpak has previously suggested to the city its long-term intention to eventually dismantle the dam, though the process is challenging and costly. The council president added that in the meantime, she believes a river steward, or some form of non-police supervision in the area to maintain safety and distribute trash bags, would be an ideal short-term solution.
Noting that the Orange Dam is one of the few cost-free destinations for swimming in the area, Maiore argued that the spot’s popularity reflects a greater problem of inequity in public facilities across the country.
“We do have to find a way so that people can use our lands while still preserving our waterways and protecting the peace of our neighbors,” Maiore said. “What makes the problem so complex is that it really speaks to the inequity of public facilities in our region and in our nation — that we don’t provide areas that have public access, like pools and cooling off areas.”
The city, in its statement, wrote that it is exploring forms of federal or state funding to create municipally owned and managed swimming and picnic areas on the Mill River or its tributaries.
Chartpak Director of Operations Joe Cliche could not be reached by phone for comment.
