A “rainy day” project for Wayland’s Department of Public Works has resulted in a like-new corral and jumps for horse owners in town.

Department of Public Works Director Don Ouellette said he isn’t sure how long the Claypit Hill Road corral near Claypit Hill School has been there, but he does know it had fallen into disrepair.

“My superintendent took me out there,” Ouellette said. “It was in deplorable condition. Really, really run down and ragged.”

Ouellette said the condition of the wood led him to believe the public corral has been there for a while, but the nails and broken boards rendered it unsafe for any user.

Now, thanks to a thorough cleanup conducted as the DPW had time and funds to make it happen, Ouellette said the corral is open for public use.

“Believe it or not, we’ve had about 10 or 12 phone calls from people that didn’t realize it was open to the public,” Ouellette said. “They thought it was private.”

It is, in fact, a town-owned property that DPW has been mowing for years. Now, it’s actually usable.

Ouellette said he is talking with Town Planner Sarkis Sarkisian about clearing the underbrush at the roadside next to the corral and planting new trees. He said he hopes cleaning up the area around the corral will entice more people to utilize the feature.

The corral should be self-sustaining, with the exception of mowing it, for many years to come, Ouellette said, adding that if turns out to be something the public doesn’t use, DPW will investigate other uses for the land.

“Anytime I find anything that’s dilapidated – benches, soccer goal posts, bleachers – if we’ve got the funding and manpower, we’re going to go ahead and take care of it,” Ouellette said.

Other projects DPW is either working on or considering for the near future include Hannah Williams Park and renovations at the Town Beach and Alpine Field.