Planning board backs 75% design for Portside Community Park in Dennisport

The Town of Dennis planning board on July 15 voted unanimously to support the 75% design for Portside Community Park, a municipal project to transform a 4.2-acre former church site at 187 Upper County Road in Dennisport into a community park.

Consultant Gemma Kite of Horsley Witten Group summarized the design, saying the team’s “hope and goal is to transform this site into a vibrant community park” featuring an accessible looped walking path, a basketball court, an open multiuse lawn sized for under‑7 soccer, pollinator plantings, picnic areas and a 35-space parking lot with ADA spaces. Kite said the plan avoids disturbance within the 50‑foot wetland buffer and includes boardwalk viewing points and educational signage.

Town engineer Tommy Andre told the board that parking needs largely shaped the site layout, adding that “basically, the parking kinda drove this project.” The design team described a green stormwater infrastructure approach that uses porous pavement for paths and the basketball court, underground infiltration chambers under the parking area and an oil‑water separator to treat runoff before it reaches the town system.

Board members asked for more detail on the planting plan and on long‑term maintenance of underground systems; the consultants said manhole access and isolator rows are built into the chambers so the town can service them. Several board members and attendees urged labeled planting lists and requested the final 100% landscape plans. An online commenter who also serves on the Dennis Port–West Dennis Advancement Committee, Joshua Brimdier, urged the board not to delay because the Community Preservation Committee and grant timelines could affect summer funding decisions.

Because this is a municipal project presented under a special‑review process, planning staff told the board that the planning board cannot deny the municipal proposal or impose binding conditions but may offer suggestions. Kyle Petosini moved that the planning board “support the concept design for Portside Community Park as noted on the plan by Horsley Witten Group dated June 2026.” The motion was seconded and the roll call recorded seven yes votes; the motion carried.

Next steps: the consultant team will take planning‑board comments into account, advance the documents to 100% design and present final construction documents for bidding. Staff and the consultants said they expect to seek construction funding at the fall town meeting and are awaiting decisions on pending grant and CPC funding applications.