Mary Byrne
As they begin to make their way through the various boards and committees in town, the Friends of Chenery Park want to gather as much feedback as possible on the proposed upgrades to the Chenery Park complex.
“We have to understand what the town wants, what the neighbors want,” said Nichole O’Connell, who, along with fellow resident Laura Burnes, is leading the effort to get the project off the ground.
Residents interested in getting more involved or offering input can email O’Connell and Burns at friendsofchenerypark@gmail.com. The Friends have also established a Google forum for those interested in volunteering, soliciting feedback, or helping with fundraising for the project. That can be found online at tinyurl.com/FriendsOfChenery.
Late last year, the Recreation Department submitted applications for more than $1 million in Community Preservation Act funds to upgrade the Chenery Park complex. The applications included $300,000 for design and engineering costs and $1 million for construction. According to Recreation Director Brandon Fitts, the Chenery playground, fields, and tennis courts are worn out and need replacing.
“I’m a direct abutter,” said Burnes. “I look at it every day. It needs a lot of love.”
Community Preservation Act fundsare available through a state law allowing communities to add a surcharge on property taxes. When combined with matching state funds, the town can use the money to fund parks, playgrounds, recreation fields, open space, affordable housing, and historic buildings.
“Some of the land being renovated is town property; some of the land is school property, so we have to make sure, in the process of development, those two stakeholders are honored,” explained Burnes. “It’s not just the people interested; there is legal jurisdiction.”
So far, the Friends have appeared before the Recreation Commission and the Community Preservation Commission. They’re also looking to meet with Police Chief James MacIsaac and the new principal of Chenery Upper Elementary, as well as the School Committee, the Selectboard, and possibly the Warrant Committee. They’re also reaching out to groups that use the fields, such as the physical education teachers at Chenery Upper and the softball teams.
“Philosophically, what’s important to me is that this is really a community space that … doesn’t feel like it’s just for the neighborhood or just for the school,” Burnes said.
According to application documents, the goal is for design to happen in fiscal year 2025, with construction starting in fiscal year 2026 or fiscal year 2027. The Friends will seek more public input as part of the design phase. For now, however, the focus is getting the project to Town Meeting this spring for a vote to approve the use of CPA funds.
“That’s why we’re starting now,” said O’Connell. “It’s a very short period of time where we’re going to need to get stakeholder input.”
O’Connell and Burns expect to have a survey link ready by next month to collect input on the project.
“It is already a hub of the neighborhood,” Burnes said. “People walk there and play there from all over the neighborhood. To improve that experience for everybody in the neighborhood is just really important.”
