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Westborough holds public forum on draft 10‑year Open Space and Recreation Plan
Summary
Town staff and a UMass consultant presented a draft 10‑year Open Space and Recreation Plan, emphasizing state grant requirements, five high‑level goals and ten ranked priorities; residents urged faster action on lake water quality, trail easements and formal partner MOUs.
Jennifer, Westborough’s recreation director, and consultant Wayne Fiden of UMass opened a public forum to solicit feedback on a draft 10‑year Open Space and Recreation Plan intended to guide town projects and preserve eligibility for state grants.
Fiden told the audience the plan follows a state process required for grant eligibility, noting, "If you don't follow that process, you're not eligible for state grants." He said the plan identifies five overarching goals—protect and conserve land resources, improve accessibility, promote environmental awareness, enhance trail connectivity and improve recreation offerings—and lists 10 top priorities intended to guide grant applications and near‑term work.
The plan includes detailed appendices such as an accessibility assessment and inventories. Fiden described the document as a living plan with more activities than the town could reasonably finish in 10 years and stressed the aim was to capture opportunities when they arise rather than promise completion of every item.
Public comments covered several recurring themes: maintenance and stewardship of trails and conservation land, the need for clearer coordination with regional land trusts, requests to elevate lake water‑quality work and debate about siting additional community gardens. Andy Kenigsberg of the Conservation Commission said the town lacks dedicated budget and staff for land maintenance, calling it a problem that accelerates deterioration and invasive species spread: "There is no budget for maintaining these lands. There is no staff to maintain these lands."
Staff also updated attendees on local projects tied to the plan: the community‑center "fit‑out" (including senior‑center space) remains in the plan and the town has rebid the pool project, with bids due in early October; the recreation director and select board will review bids and determine whether the pool proceeds as a standalone project or as part of the second‑floor fit‑out.
The meeting closed with staff asking participants to workshop the priorities; one attendee urged improved room acoustics for greater accessibility to future meetings.
The next procedural step is for staff to compile tonight’s input into a revised draft for further review; there were no formal votes or binding decisions at this forum.
