Parking access to Lake Congamond in Southwick closed after fight

SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WWLP) – The North Pond Conservation parking area is temporarily closed after a video circulated on social media of a large fight in the area.

In a Facebook post, the Southwick Police Department says the small parking area cannot handle the amount of people that go there when it’s hot out. They say the increased traffic has created an unsafe environment.

The closure will last until town officials can better assess the situation and come up with a solution. A Select Board meeting will be held Monday at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall. Board members include Douglas Moglin, Diane Gale, Jason Perron, and Secretary Lisa Anderson.

In a meeting Monday night, the Southwick Select Board voted to maintain the temporary closure of the North Pond Conservation parking area. The select board is also asking the Southwick Police Department to flag North Pond and South Longyard Road for no parking—and to ticket and tow vehicles in violation.

Residents were able to voice their concerns ahead of the decision, which ranged from public safety and an increase in police detail to trespassing on property. “If it was up to me we would have 15-20 more cops—but we don’t have that money right now,” says Jason Perron of the Southwick Select Board. “So you got to realize that they are going to do everything that they possibly can and we can only do with what the resources we have.”

MAP: 49 South Longyard Road

North Pond Conservation Area is approximately 61 acres and was purchased in June 2019 by the Town of Southwick and is managed by the Southwick Conservation Commission.

Rules posted on the town’s website include:

• No Alcoholic Beverages
• No Camping
• No Removal or Destruction of Vegetation
• No Dumping
• No Open Fires
• No Grills
• No Picnicking
• No Glass Containers
• No Unauthorized Vehicles
• No Littering
• No Rope Swings
• No Mountain Bikes
• No Creation of New Trails

The closure will remain until further notice and the board plans to take on this issue again in its next meeting. Board member Jason Perron says that they are still trying to identify the people involved in the fight—and if found, they will be charged.

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