Springs Brook Park master plan proposes pool, year-round amenities and reconfigured pond

Recreation Director Josh Smith, landscape architect Brandon Kunkel of Weston & Sampson, and Recreation Commission Chair Robin Steele presented a master plan for Springs Brook Park that centers on creating a constructed, year-round swimming facility with complementary amenities to expand recreational opportunities.

The plan calls for resizing and adjusting the depth of the existing pond—reducing its surface area to approximately 75%—and constructing a formal pool with a walk-in, zero-entry design to enable extended season access. Other proposals include a universal-access playground, splash pad expansion, a pump track, improved trail and boardwalk connections, removal of an underutilized baseball field to expand soccer capacity, expanded parking at the Springs Road entrance, and new gathering/event spaces.

Presenters emphasized that community engagement informed the recommendations: two public meetings (Dec. 4, 2024 and Apr. 10, 2025) and an online survey yielding 374 responses shaped program priorities. They identified environmental constraints—wetlands, floodplain riverfront areas, protected buffers, invasive species and seasonally high groundwater—and noted that no mapped rare-species priority habitats were found on-site. Presenters told the board the pool could be constructed without impacting the existing stream and that membership for the pool would be available to residents; operational details and maintenance cost estimates will be refined in subsequent planning phases with 10-year guidance provided for budgeting.

Board members asked specifically about maintenance costs, membership models, and mitigation of past water-quality and staffing challenges at the pond; presenters said additional financial and operational details will be developed as the design advances.