Norwich University representatives described a preliminary plan to realign the road network at the university’s Route 12 entrance and proposed a land swap that would transfer part or all of Gold Star Park to the university in exchange for town-owned land near the town well.

John Brock Meineau (introduced as North president) and Bijan Yazadeh (vice president of facility operations) told the board the intersection at University Drive and Route 12 is “very unsafe” and that straightening the campus drive could reduce a confusing zig-zag traffic pattern. The university said the realignment would route the campus drive through the southern portion of the land the town currently owns in Gold Star Park and would create a more visible, welcoming main entrance to campus for visitors.

Yazadeh said conceptual drawings exist and the university engaged an architectural consultant with a safety engineer who produced the current conceptual plan. The presenters said they had considered alternatives — including shifting the road so the park could remain untouched — but rejected those options because they would put the new road immediately adjacent to active pedestrian circulation outside the proposed building and remove a buffer that university officials want to preserve.

Select Board members asked for the town manager and staff to research the park’s history, property records and any preservation obligations before the board considers further action. The board’s manager (Jeff) explained the process would require due diligence: title and records research, utility location, public process because the property is park land, and potentially traffic engineering to validate safety gains and alternatives. The presenters said Norwich already maintains the park (mowing, pruning, fertilizing) and would continue maintenance if ownership changed.

The university described the proposal as preliminary and said it had not yet taken the swap to its governing board. Norwich representatives said they were seeking the town’s input and offered to return with more detailed plans for public review once the town completes records and utility checks and the university refines the design.

Board members requested additional materials, including the park’s ownership history, any preservation constraints, and a traffic-engineering assessment that compares options that avoid disturbing parkland.