In May and June, the Marlboro College campus welcomed teams of pavers and landscapers, who made improvements to several of the roads and walkways in the central part of campus. The road paving and paths were the latest in a series of planned infrastructure improvements that started with stone walkways and other landscaping at the very center of campus in 2011, and were made possible in part by funds from the Marlboro Music School and Festival.
“This project represents the next ring of improvements, pushing out from the campus center,” said Dan Cotter, director of plant and operations. “Not only does it make the campus more accessible, in terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, but it also reduces run-off and erosion.” Surprisingly, the addition of asphalt roads and stone walkways decreases the total amount of impermeable surfaces on campus, according to Dan, because dirt roads and paths grow wider over time.
The roads involved include those going toward Howland dormitory, up the hill up to Dalrymple and Rice-Aron Library, in front of Persons Auditorium, and, perhaps most significantly, to the Random dorms. This includes the parking lot for the Campus Center and Total Health Center and a half basketball court.
“Students have waited for years to get asphalt under their basketball net there, and it should make the game a more fun without the wild bounces,” said Dan.
The dirt paths that connect Whittemore Theater to the Campus Center and the dining hall have been covered with the same paving stones used in front of the dining hall, pulling together these disparate parts of campus.
