Mary Byrne
Three hypothetical design schemes for a new Chenery Park complex will be discussed later this month.
“I’m personally really enjoying how engaged the community has been,” said Nichole O’Connell, who is spearheading the revitalization project with Laura Burnes. “I’m hoping that can continue because it’s going to be a better project, and a more accepted project, the more people feel heard.”
The complex, which includes two softball fields, grass fields, a paved area with basketball hoops, and a playground, is located at the Chenery Upper Elementary School. Recreation Director Brandon Fitts previously said the land is managed through a hybrid arrangement between the Recreation Commission, the School Committee, and the Select Board.
The existing equipment is dated, he said, and the fields are well-used, but drainage is an issue.
Late last year, the Recreation Department submitted applications for more than $1 million in Community Preservation Act money to upgrade the Chenery Park complex. The applications included $300,000 for design and engineering costs and $1 million for construction. Both requests were approved by Town Meeting last spring.
With the project estimated to cost closer to $3 million, Laura Burnes said the group plans to request additional CPA money at Town Meeting this spring.
Previous Coverage
- Friends of Chenery Begin Outreach For Complex Upgrades
- Town Meeting Set to Decide Fate of Chenery Park Revitalization
“We have started our fundraising efforts,” said O’Connell.
Donations can be made online at friendsofchenerypark.com/make-a-donation.
The group behind the project, Friends of Chenery Park, recently held its first community workshop. During the workshop, attendees had the opportunity to provide input on the park’s design. Four boards represented different design elements: planting, playgrounds, sports, and amenities. Burnes said that the session was attended mainly by families.
At each station, people chose design elements they wanted included, such as slides or swings or native plants and pollinators. Each category also had a “wildcard” opinion, allowing people to write something that was already suggested.
“We had 80 submittals,” said O’Connell. “We actually had a huge turnout.”
“We got great feedback from the people who came,” added Burnes.
O’Connell said she hopes to find a way to include the voices of students at Chenery Upper Elementary School.
The women credited Sarah Cohen of ASK+ with the idea of holding a brainstorming session rather than a forum.
“Now they’re taking that information, manually going through it,” Burnes said.
The project is expected to break ground by next fall, according to O’Connell.
“The caveat is we need to figure out what the actual plan is and figure out how to stage and coordinate with the school,” Burnes noted. “It’s not going to happen all at once; there’s going to be phases. That’s part of what’s making us anticipate this to be a more expensive project than one at a similar scale but at a different location that didn’t have a school to consider.”
Other projects at Chenery Upper Elementary include replacing the boilers, installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units, and repairing the roof.
The three designs will be presented at a forum on Oct. 21.
School and town needs will also be weighed in addition to the community input.
“The tricky part of navigating this process, no matter what we do, is we can’t meet everyone’s desires,” said Burnes. “That’s what’s going to be interesting about this next phase; we’re going to see how much we can meet people’s hopes and dreams.”