Council backs Pine Avenue native-plant site plan as a phased, grant-funded pocket park

The New Milford mayor and council voted to advance a concept site plan from the Environmental & Energy Commission for a small native-plant and urban rain-garden on property between Pine Avenue and Washington Avenue.

A commission representative described the plan as the "Pine Avenue Native Plant and Urban Rain Garden," an educational multiuse pocket park featuring native pollinator plantings, a treed shaded area, ADA-compliant nonpervious pathways, and a low-lying wet corner planted with wetland species intended for improved soil permeability and modest flood mitigation. The presenter said screening plantings are proposed along private property edges and that construction, if funded, would be phased with initial work beginning on the sunnier Washington Avenue side.

Funding and implementation: the presenter said the purpose of the site plan is to allow the borough to apply for grants; there is no implementation or construction schedule yet. The DPW has a water truck that could support early plantings and the commission expects community engagement, volunteer plantings and potential partnerships with other borough committees (shade-tree commission, flood committee) once implementation plans are developed.

Council members asked about deer protection, water sources and flood resilience; the presenter said temporary cages or other plant-protection measures could be used, that a Pine Avenue water source exists but may not be active, and that the selected plant palette is wetland- and native-species appropriate. After discussion, the council moved and unanimously approved a motion to move the project forward for further review and grant-seeking.

Next step: environmental commission will finalize the site plan index and share it with council and staff, identify necessary permitting and whether planning-board review is required, and pursue grant applications to fund phased implementation.