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Conservation commission proposes pilot to improve accessibility at Cheney Field
Summary
The Northfield Conservation Commission recommended a conditional pilot to allow limited, regulated vehicular access to Lower Cheney Field on select days to improve access for people with mobility challenges; the Select Board asked staff to meet with department heads to assess logistics and safety before any pilot.
The Northfield Conservation Commission presented a working-group report recommending a phased pilot program to provide limited, regulated vehicular access to Lower Cheney Field aimed at improving accessibility for people with mobility challenges.
"Cheney Field is a treasured community asset that should be broadly shared," said Bill Dela Sola, the volunteer who chaired the working group. The presentation, introduced by Conservation Commission Chair David Mears, proposed a pilot that would allow vehicular access on specified days, limited mainly to vehicles displaying handicap placards and managed with parallel parking along Cheney Farm Road rather than building a formal parking lot.
The recommendations grew from the town forest feasibility study and additional community input. The working group identified a set of focus areas: improving the turn from Vine Hill Road to Cheney Farm Road, creating 2–6 parallel-parking spaces on Baym Hill Road to reduce walking distance and elevation gain from downtown, considering two handicapped spaces near Slate/Slade Avenue and the library trailhead, grading and improving the Kingston Road terminus, and better signage and wayfinding downtown. The group also proposed partnering with Norwich University and accessibility organizations, and testing low-cost benching and temporary accommodations on pilot days.
Board members and staff raised operational concerns — winter parking, drainage, turning radii and whether emergency vehicles could pass — and asked for a staff-level meeting with department heads to review logistics. The Select Board and working-group members agreed the next step is a meeting with the town’s relevant department heads (including Jim Russo, wastewater/roads staff) to assess turning geometry, drainage and monitoring needs before any pilot dates are set.
The working group reported holding about 10 meetings and a field trip to Cheney Field. The Select Board did not set pilot dates at the meeting; members encouraged collaboration with Norwich University and exploration of grants and established accessibility programs before moving to a trial phase.
