Storm-Damaged Sanctuary Reopened Ahead of Schedule

A Brookline sanctuary closed earlier this summer by a series of bruising storms has reopened early.

Tree Warden Tom Brady said crews have successfully dismantled and rebuilt roughly 180 feet of boardwalk that had been damaged by a sudden flood at Hall's Pond Sanctuary last month. Repair work was expected to wrap up until later this week.

"Our contractor put in long days and worked through the weekend to get it open again," Brady said.

The park, located at the rear of Amory Playground in Cottage Farms, has been closed for much of the summer as crews dealt with the aftermath of two severe storms. First, workers spent several weeks painstakingly dismantling and removing by hand nearly two-dozen trees downed by intense storms in June. That work was nearly completed in early July when a sudden downpour flooded the pond and lifted the park's boardwalk off its piers.

Crews spent just over a week dismantling the boardwalk, inspecting the piers and re-attaching the walkway with modifications that will help it withstand future floods. The park was reopened shortly after 3 p.m. today.