Newington committee previews draft 'Discover Newington' interactive open‑space map

Charlie Nevers and Monique presented a draft interactive “Discover Newington” story map to the Newington Open Space Committee at its July 1, 2026, regular meeting, showing drone footage, historic map overlays, trail descriptions and embedded park resources meant to centralize town open‑space information for public use.

The presentation, led by Charlie Nevers, introduced the story map as “what we’ve called the ‘Discover Newington’s open space’” and as “a very, very rough draft” intended for refinement and public feedback. Monique demonstrated embedded features including PDFs of static park maps, an existing park‑finder app on the town GIS page and an optional moderated survey/photo upload that would let residents tag favorite spots and provide pictures and comments for an embedded dashboard.

Committee members said the map could make the town’s open space more visible and easier for residents to use. Chair Pasquale said the project “is what needs to be to the public,” arguing that broader awareness could encourage protection of town open space. Members recommended adding clear icons for amenities (dog friendly, ADA access, rentable pavilions), rental/contact links to Parks & Rec, and a table‑of‑contents or header to make the long scroll easier to navigate.

The presenters noted policy and data limits. Monique and Nevers said the public map is intended only for town‑maintained and town‑owned properties; sites on leased or partner land may be linked but not treated as town‑maintained. The committee discussed the dog park, which staff said sits on land leased from Hartford HealthCare and therefore does not appear in the town maintenance layer. Nevers described ongoing work to compile easement and restriction layers (drainage easements, conservation easements such as Rockhole) and said staff will check land records and deed filings to avoid publishing misleading access information.

Members also discussed informal trails used by residents — including a path along Brookside Road/Piper Brook that crosses multiple ownership types — and heard that formalizing such routes would require easements, acquisitions or coordination with state agencies like DEEP.

The committee agreed on next steps: refine icons and layout, determine which amenities and rental information should be linked versus duplicated, test mobile layouts, and schedule a working session for committee members to walk parcels with the GIS open. Nevers said the draft could be ready for broader review in a couple of weeks and staff will consider presenting the updated map to the full town council to solicit public feedback.

On a separate procedural note, the committee approved the April 1 minutes by voice vote at the start of the meeting and later moved to adjourn; no formal votes on policy changes or land acquisitions were taken at this session. A member also asked for a status update on remediation at Cedar Mountain; staff said legal had been contacted previously, would be contacted again and that a follow‑up would occur when the relevant staff member returns.

The committee plans a working session and expects to return a revised draft for public input and council review before publishing the public version of the story map.