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Phase 2a of Chestnut Square Park complete; council reviews remaining Phase 2B options and parking tradeoffs
Summary
The council received an update that Phase 2a of Chestnut Square Park is complete (playground, retaining wall, moved pond and parking improvements). Staff said about $3.19 million has been spent of a $7.5 million appropriation and presented options for Phase 2B, including added parking or a multipurpose field versus a potential community center.
Town staff updated the council on Chestnut Square Park Phase 2 work and the status of remaining funds and options for Phase 2B.
Staff recounted the project timeline dating to 2022 and said the council approved Concept 1 for the full Phase 2 at an estimated $7.5 million; the design team later determined placing stormwater attenuation under the field was cost‑prohibitive, so staff moved the pond and reconfigured the layout. Phase 2A, which included the relocated pond, retaining wall and connections to the existing playground and on‑street parking, was bid and completed; staff reported total expenditures of about $3.19 million to date against the $7.5 million appropriation.
Project manager remarks and slides showed the current park layout, parking counts and how removing Shady Bluff as a through segment or redesigning the lot could yield more spaces (staff estimated the potential to add roughly 20–40 additional spaces depending on pond configuration). The original concept had envisioned a full‑size multipurpose field with stormwater storage underneath; after cost analysis, staff said a full underground attenuation system was not financially feasible, so the pond was relocated to achieve the field and parking balance. Staff said the remaining funding (roughly $4.3 million) could cover Phase 2B if the council chooses to move forward.
Planning implications: staff said if the council pursued a community center on the recently purchased 11‑acre parcel, the park layout and field options would require revision; a community center footprint could reduce the size of a multipurpose field or shift its location. Staff reminded council that environmental and Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional reviews would be necessary for development within stream buffers or wetlands on that acquired land, and mitigation could add cost.
The council did not take a new funding vote on Phase 2B at the meeting but staff identified design choices and parking tradeoffs for future action, and said staff can return with revised concept drawings and refined cost estimates.
