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Health & Fitness

Selectmen to Hear Sacred Heart DPW Plan

The Department of Public Works is scheduled to present a "modified plan" for the former Sacred Heart site at the Selectmen's meeting on Tuesday, September 3, at 7:30 p.m., Town Hall.

The final concept plan for the new recreation space was submitted by the planners, Beals and Thomas, to Selectmen last month (full report is in Public LIbrary).

The planners described their design as "an understated yet elegantly designed informal recreational open space defined by [ADA-compliant] stone-dust pathways, ornamental trees and plantings, and earthen berms." It embodies "a minimal approach, essentially formalizing what is currently there" (a grassed field). Benches, a picnic area, a bike rack, and a planted buffer to Cedar Street are included. The pathways encircle the area, connect to existing walking and cross-country trails, and provide emergency vehicles access to the skating pond and park site.

Parking is controlled by boulders, ornamental plantings, and a landscaped rise (earthen berms). No lights, guide fences, irrigation, or significant tree removal are included. Overall, residents taking part in the public process expressed satisfaction with the process and the results so far.

To seek a lower cost, the Selectmen asked DPW to devise a modified plan to construct the recreation site in-house, which would cut the estimate by half or more, to below $100,000. Repaving the entire parking lot would add about $170,000.

A key point for residents interested in the outcome is how to lower cost. Eliminating administrative/profit cost of an outside contractor makes sense. Skimping on what should be an attractive new recreation space does not.

In my opinion, the DPW's modified plan should not diverge substantially from the B&T design, for instance, by shortening/omitting parts of designed pathways, replacing landscaping (earthen berms) with standard concrete strips to control parking, or using cheap rather than better-quality materials that last longer.

In other words, an attractive recreation-site design (for which the Town paid the planners $31,000) should not be substantially altered to cut cost. Rather--if necessary--parking-lot repaving should be omitted . . . it is an option, not a necessity.

If the DPW plan is approved by the Sacred Heart Reuse Committee, the Selectmen, and the Community Preservation Committee, construction funds from the Community Preservation Fund will be requested at Town Meeting on November 4.

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