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Parks staff push accessibility, trail repairs and Lake Park bridge engineering in five-year plan
Summary
Parks and recreation staff told the board they are completing a 10-year plan with McAdams, prioritizing accessibility and trail paving, planning Lake Park bridge replacement engineering, and seeking grants for field and lighting improvements; Rais Mill trail repairs and a Crush-and-Run boat-ramp parking addition are imminent.
Parks and recreation staff used the March 7 retreat to outline short- and long-term facility priorities alongside an in-progress 10-year comprehensive plan with consultant McAdams. Staff said survey and focus-group results show demand for accessibility improvements, a dog park and a splash pad among residents; they also noted interest in pickleball and added programming to meet shifting demand.
Near-term work includes Rais Mill trail repairs to address puddling and a new crushed‑stone parking area to improve boat-ramp access. Staff said the SportsPlex is essentially complete and that some additional finishing items remain. For Lake Park, staff requested engineering and replacement options for a deteriorated bridge so the town can budget a chosen design into the 5‑year CIP; they cited a $20,000 planning add-on that had been deferred into next fiscal year.
Parks staff also listed multiple CIP items: playground replacements, ballfield lighting upgrades (quotes in the $525K–$550K range for both fields from a turnkey vendor), trail asphalt to improve ADA access, gazebo repairs or replacement, and a possible repurposing of an old shelter area to a pollinator garden.
Why it matters: Accessibility upgrades and trail paving expand public access to recreation facilities and can unlock grant eligibility; larger items such as bridge replacement and ball-field lighting are capital expenses that will appear in the CIP and may require matching grant applications. Staff said they are pursuing grants and volunteer-led fundraising for some projects and will present cost estimates in upcoming budget materials.
Ending: Staff will return with detailed CIP estimates and grant-application plans for the board’s review in the April/May budget cycle.
