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Westfield parks director details inventory and programs; planner presents Simon Moon/Newby master plan
Summary
Parks Director Chris McConnell outlined Westfield’s parks inventory, acreage, programs and a tree‑bank fund; planner Jeff Speck presented an informational master plan for Simon Moon/Newby emphasizing walkability, mixed building types and framing the park with public edges.
Chris McConnell, Westfield’s director of parks and recreation, opened the parks presentation by listing staff roles and recent accomplishments: 14 parks in the inventory (119 developed acres and about 93.5 undeveloped acres for a total of approximately 212.79 acres), roughly 20 miles of multi‑use trails, five playgrounds (including one fully ADA‑accessible playground), and a new synthetic ice ribbon at Grand Junction Plaza. McConnell said the department launched programming that delivered 51 individual programs this year and served more than 2,300 residents.
McConnell also described a recently created fee‑in‑lieu tree‑bank program that has collected more than $70,000 to fund tree plantings and said the department had completed three major projects in the year, including Simon Moon phase 1. He told council the city’s parkland per 1,000 residents is lower than the national average (Westfield ~3.43 acres per 1,000 residents vs. a national average cited at 10.4 acres per 1,000 residents), underscoring a long‑term land‑acquisition challenge.
Planner Jeff Speck (Speck and Associates), speaking remotely, offered an informational look at a larger Simon Moon/Newby master plan (not before the council for approval). Speck described three linked neighborhoods (a lower‑density Sugar Leaf edge, a downtown village center with mixed use and 4–5 story buildings adjacent to the park, and a row‑house neighborhood facing the park), design techniques to make the park edge public and inviting, and strategies to hide parking while maximizing “eyes on the park.” He emphasized tree surveys and design details intended to preserve large trees where possible.
Councilors asked technical and operational questions (playground accessibility and inspection, land acquisition strategies, the neighborhood vibrancy grant budget, and snow‑plowing implications for hammerhead alleys). McConnell and staff answered that some parks are in development phases (Simon Moon phase 2, Marianne White master plan) and that partnerships — including capital campaigns for amenities such as pickleball courts — are underway.
What happens next: This was an informational briefing; the master plan presentation will inform later land‑use and development reviews. Staff said projects and park‑related capital campaigns would come back to council as funding and design details are finalized.
