FAIRFIELD — Recently unveiled concepts for 15 sites operated by the Parks and Recreation Department call for major upgrades at some of the town’s most popular spots.
Parks and Recreation Director Anthony Calabrese said the concepts released are part of the department’s master plan, which has been in the works for about a year and aims to build a road map for the 90 or so town properties it oversees.
Calabrese said Jennings Beach would get the most upgrades under the concept if it was followed through with. The plan would be to build a pollinator pathway, an amphitheater, and a small dog park, among other improvements, at the site, according to town documents on the project.
“The South Pine Creek Recreation area one is a unique plan,” he said. “Even the Town Hall complex, I think, is a fantastic plan.”
Each concept is very different based on the site, Calabrese said, noting some call for complete overhauls while others would get minor improvements.
A pollinator pathway and dog park are also featured in the Lake Mohegan concept. The Town Hall concept calls for new and improved parking and pedestrian walkways as well as a community garden.
One concept is already receiving push-back. The Ash Creek Conservation Association sent out an email Thursday urging residents to object to a proposed amphitheater at the Ash Creek open space.
“We are concerned about the impact of sound and lights on the wildlife of Ash Creek, especially since we know the negative impact this will have on migratory shorebirds,” it said in the email. “Residents of Black Rock will also be concerned about the impact on their quality of life as sound travels over water and the bucolic views of the Open Space area will now be lit up and developed.”
Calabrese said the parks and rec master plan was done in the mid 90s, adding it is good practice to have a new one every decade or so.
The town approved $150,000 for the new plan, which included hiring BL Companies as a consultant to help the department with the process.
“It gives you guidance on where the department should be going,” he said. “It helps you stay on top of trends that are going on in the community and the recreation world.”
The process started last summer, Calabrese said, and has included public workshops and email surveys to engage the public and see what residents want done with the town’s parks, beaches, open spaces and school facilities Parks and Recreation oversees.
“We had a few thousands responses, which was great,” he said. “We put together a list of (stakeholders) we wanted the consultants to reach out to and meet with. Some of those were the local leagues... all the youth leagues, and then the different politicians and boards.”
Calabrese said they used that feedback to identify the 15 sites that have the new concepts, noting that, those concepts can be used as plans if the town wanted to put a project out to bid. Every facility the town runs has been evaluated, he said, these 15 just have drawings and specific plans.
“While we don’t have a concept or a map for it, it will say this place is in great shape or the parking really needs to be fixed there or the swing set is outdated,” he said.
Once the final plan is ready in the coming months, Calabrese said, the department will go through it and see what projects can be done using its operating budget — prioritizing places that have health or safety issues. He said places that call for larger scale upgrades, such as Dougiello Park or Ash Creek, would be larger projects that cost millions.
“We would need more than this concept to move forward with it, and we would have to get all the appropriate approvals as well,” he said. “None of those steps have been taken yet.”
The overarching master plan has other improvements not noted in the concepts released last week, Calabrese said, such as a town pool. The consultant did not think a town pool was ideal for any of those 15 spots, he said, but it does not mean it will not be brought up in the plan.
“We’ve got to put these things on the waterfall charter to figure out over the next seven to 10 years where we want to be,” he said.
Calabrese said the town pool, pickle ball courts, dog parks and a dedicated girls softball field were popular recommendations the town received in its surveys. In the next two weeks the town will close public feedback, he said, adding BL Companies will then work through September to finalize the master plan for presentation to the Parks and Recreation Commission and other boards.
But the master plan is a living document, Calabrese said, and public feedback is encouraged and welcome.
“If there’s something they want to see, we’re all ears,” he said.
joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
"some" - Google News
July 08, 2022 at 04:48AM
https://ift.tt/c3J2BaO
Some Fairfield parks and beaches could get major upgrades - CT Insider
"some" - Google News
https://ift.tt/d5EKCIF
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Some Fairfield parks and beaches could get major upgrades - CT Insider"
Post a Comment