Supervisors give consensus to refine Central Park parking plan; staff to collect prices and revise design

Middlesex County staff presented three options March 4 for adding short‑term parking at Central Park (Cook's Corner) to serve the playground, skatepark and basketball court. The board gave staff a consensus to proceed with a limited gravel parking area near the skatepark and to modify the access so the drive ties into the old bus loop, rather than the sheriff's access road.

Public works staff said they initially showed angled parking near the kid building and two alternative layouts that would locate parking on the old bus loop; they described option B as the "low hanging fruit" that could be completed with minor grading and gravel in the short term. Supervisors noted the area contains an old well and other infrastructure that might need removal for larger, permanent parking work; staff said an eventual master plan for the site will inform any asphalt or engineered parking design.

Supervisor Williams and other board members said retaining the angled parking as a temporary measure while adding gravel parking and a safer exit tied to the bus loop is their preferred approach. Supervisors also directed staff to research available state funds for well abandonment and to gather cost estimates for gravel and permanent paving. The project was not budgeted for full engineering or paving at this meeting; staff will return with price estimates and a recommended phasing plan.

The short‑term plan expects roughly 8–10 gravel spaces including one handicap space; staff said the final number will depend on exact layout, grading and any site obstructions. The board's direction was consensus‑level; no formal appropriation or contract award occurred at the meeting.