Dan Aguilar, director of engineering and planning for the City of Fall River, asked the Park Board on Nov. 24 to put the board’s support behind a conceptual improvement at Father Kelly Park that would add a small off‑street parking facility, lighting, seating and landscaping. The board voted to submit a letter of recommendation to the Capital Planning Committee (CPC), conditional on final design and funding.

Aguilar told the board the request is tied to the city’s Open Space and Recreation Plan, a 10‑year plan developed with two years of public outreach and online surveys. He said the sketch before the board is a concept intended to make the project eligible for CPC funding and to avoid last‑minute scrambling when funding cycles open. "It's just an idea. It's a sketch," Aguilar said, noting the plan is intended to be refined by survey and final design.

Why it matters: the open space plan identifies maintenance, lighting, safety and parking as recurring priorities across Fall River City parks. Aguilar said the city received 584 online survey responses indicating those priorities; he said having "shovel‑ready" projects that the city can submit to CPC improves the chance of securing capital funds. Aguilar described the Father Kelly concept as intended to serve occasional high‑demand events such as softball tournaments and estimated the complete project at about $500,000, while noting the city has made preliminary commitments to offset some costs and final amounts will depend on CPC awards and design phases.

Board discussion focused on balancing parking capacity with park character and on enforcement. Members pressed staff to maximize the number of usable spaces while minimizing intrusion into historic walkways and green areas; Aguilar said final surveys and design will determine exact counts (the conceptual sketch showed roughly 18 spaces). Board members also raised concerns about overnight parking and misuse; Aguilar and others discussed signage, paid parking kiosks and enforcement as possible tools.

The board approved a motion to put forward a letter of recommendation to CPC supporting the concept, with language to preserve the board’s authority over final design and subject to future public input. The motion was recorded in the meeting as moved by "commissioner Farris" and seconded by "commissioner Rigo," and the board approved the recommendation by voice vote.

Next steps: Aguilar will submit the CPC application and requested materials; the board agreed to draft and finalize the recommendation letter promptly so it can be included in CPC packets before the application window referenced by staff (around Dec. 3). Final design, required surveys and any city funding commitments will be determined after CPC awards and a phased design process.