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Elm Park master-plan concepts reviewed; officials to condense student designs before seeking approval
Summary
Parks officials presented eight conceptual Elm Park designs developed with UMass Amherst and said tree removals for emerald ash borer have begun; staff will work with consultants to produce a single plan for parks commission approval and no funding is currently allocated.
The subcommittee received an update on Elm Park master-plan conceptual designs prepared with UMass Amherst students and learned that tree removals are already under way because of emerald ash borer.
Commissioner Rob Antonelli said UMass Amherst presented eight final concepts after a March site walk and a May 7 public meeting. The city will work with consultant Beals and Thomas to condense those concepts into a single plan expected to go to the parks commission for final approval in September or October. Antonelli said the city has not set aside funding because the final scope and projected costs depend on the design the committee and parks commission select.
Antonelli said the city must remove a number of ash trees that his staff and Bartlett Tree Experts have identified as hazardous; as a mitigation measure the design will include a succession plan that staggers new plantings by species, size and age so the city avoids synchronous die-offs in the future. “These trees are really a danger and they need to come down,” Antonelli said, adding that the planting plan will diversify species and ages to prevent all trees reaching life expectancy simultaneously.
The committee voted to file the informational communication. The next steps are to condense the student concepts into a single design, identify funding needs, and return to the parks commission for approval before scheduling construction.
