WHITMAN – Now that the town’s Recreation and Open Space Survey is complete, comes the task of determining how the results can be woven into the town’s long-term plans. It was the first update to open space and recreation plans in 20 years.
Select Board member Justin Evans, at the board’s Tuesday, Aug. 19 meeting, tied the survey results into continuing discussion about possible reuses of the former Park Avenue School property.
The board has been discussing the potential placement of a dog park at the Park Avenue School grounds, but legal counsel has asked the board to provide them with a direction for what they would like to do with the property, particularly if that plan is not currently allowable under the deed restrictions. The property had been bequeathed to the town for use as a public school or other educational use.
“If we use it for something other than that, the current plan is to petition the land court to release the town from that restriction,” Evans said. “If we got the attorney general to sign onto our petition, it would be a lot more likely to succeed, so our counsel asked us what we’d like to do with this property, being as specific as we can.”
He suggested was something along the lines of what it could use community preservation funds for – open space recreation. The property’s historic trees and beautiful open landscaping lend it a pastoral atmosphere perfect for such a use, and it was specifically carved out of the town’s MBTA Communities District, because officials did not want it developed for housing.
“Bottom line, the town of Whitman has a lot of opportunities to improve open space and recreation access,” Evans said. “Some of the topline findings were facilities for our youngest residents, particularly adolecents. There was concern about sidewalk conditions, trash and litter, more services, bike parking, senior-friendly spaces – it mentioned pickleball specifically in a couple of places – potential skate parks and dog parks, I think, were specific call-outs.”
The survey results also indicated continued public demand for more public events programs in town.
“[These are] things that we’ve seen an effort, particularly coming from the Cultural Council the last few years, but the fact that it’s still coming up in this survey, gives us some direction [in which] to push,” Evans said. “Unfortunately, a lot of this stuff costs a lot of money that we don’t necessarily have right now, but on some of the things that we could afford, this gives us some good places to start looking as we look to capital projects in the future, or community preservation funds.”
He reached out to the town accountant for balances on those funds and found they “look pretty good right now.”
After subtracting appropriations made at the last Town Meeting, the historic reserve has $17,000 in it; the open space and recreation reserve has $54,000 in it and the housing reserve has $9,000 in it.
However, undesignated funds, each receive at least 10 percent allocated every year and up to 5 percent is also used for administrative expenses with the rest placed in the undesignated fund that can be used for any of those categories. That fund still has $586,800 in it.
“So, we do have some money to use for some open space and recreation projects, but community housing and historic preservation, as well,” he said.
Board member Shawn Kain also praised the survey results.
“I thought it was put together in a way that was readable,” Kain said. “If it’s not on the website, we should definitely put it on the website so people can see it.”
Kain’s big takeaways included, given the town’s financial situation, is that the town should take what it currently has and tweak it slightly to make is more accessible for people.
“Some intelligent fixes could make some of the elements we have much more user-friendly, or put some maintenance into them,” he said.
During the winter months the short hours of daylight make it difficult to walk at the park, but “tons” of people walk at the park in the spring through the fall.
Maybe adding some lighting in there might make that space more accessible to people for more months out of the year could be one solution, Kain said. In respect to other responses to the survey’s list of possible recreation preferences, he was more concerned about cost.
“I would love to have a skate park,” Kain said. “I’ve spent a lot of time at skate parks. I’m a huge proponent. The problem is, I’ve seen communities that don’t do it properly. If you don’t invest fully in a really good skate park, it can turn into trouble … [and] a really good skate park can cost $2 million. I don’t think we have that kind of money for a skate park.”
Kain said such a facility could potentially create more headaches than it solves, and is not really the healthy teen atmosphere the town is looking for.
Vice Chair Dan Salvucci also said that a skate park opens the town for liability, to which Kain agreed
“But the other thing that stands out to me is the kids on bikes,” Kain said. “There’s a lot of kids on bikes [along Whitman’s roadways], which I think is outstanding. But the safety issue…”
He suggested adding some simple elements that make bike safety a priority, adding that the OCPC offers bike safety programs through police departments and middle schools which teach not only safe biking skills, but also rules of the road they must obey, just like motorists.
Select Board member Laura Howe agreed, saying the bike situation centers a lot on education about safety, as kids are often seen cutting across busy streets in front of cars and popping wheelies as they ride all the way down the street, with four or five riding abreast of heavy traffic.
“[There have been] many altercations with people asking them to move out of the way,” she said. “This is all areas of town. Maybe having more conversation around the importance of safety.”
Salvucci also asked whether all respondents to the survey were actual Whitman residents.
OCPC Senior Planner for Housing and Public Engagement Jason Desrosier, who is also a Whitman resident who uses the open spaces in town himself, attended the meeting and addressed some of the Board’s concerns.
Whitman speaks
“I’m as invested in the project, both at a personal and a professional level,” he said, noting that, of 275 people completing surveys, 273 were Whitman residents and the survey was widely advertised to residents.
He said the results the board were looking at were not the final report, but was instead a survey analysis. He said he is about 80 percent done with the plan. The plan will have 10 goals, with a number of strategies, which he has been discussing with residents in public meetings. The most recent [“Setting goals for open spaces,” Whitman-Hanson Express, July 24] was held at the Whitman Public Library on Tuesday, July 15.
“Everything from acquiring and conserving more space to trying to figure out how to have more revenue-generating recreational opportunities,” Desrosier said. One example that came out of a focus group he held with parents – Goose Boats – in Hobart Pond, Whitman’s potential answer to the Swan Boats in Boston Commons’ Public Garden, and leveraging the town’s problem with Canada geese into something positive.
While towns are facing tight budget, the plan’s action plans to meet goals also includes potential grant sourced for making improvements.
“A skate park was one of the most recommended things, second to dog parks and the Tony Hawk Foundation does give lots of money to promote skateboarding as a healthy alternative for young people,” Desrosier said. Among the focus groups he has held in preparation for writing his analysis report of the survey results, were held at WHRHS and among youths playing basketball or otherwise using Whitman Park.
“They don’t feel welcomed at the park in a lot of situations and want some place where they can go and … not feel like they’re being a nuisance to other folks who maybe want somewhat want a leisurely walk in the park,” he said.
Howe, who is also Whitman’s Animal Control Officer noted that park user’s number one pet peeve at the park was goose poop, but reminded the public that wild animals do not come under her offices’ responsibilities.
She said the only deterrent to geese is spraying water, which is not feasible at Memorial Field or in the park. Desrosier said there is investigation being done on humanely deterring geese from staying around the park.
The Committee conducting the open space needs will receive the OCPC’s report on Sept. 10 and it will become available for then to review for the public on Sept. 23.
Park Avenue
possibilities
As for the Park Avenue School parcel, Evans was open to suggestions from the board.
Kain listed razing the decaying school building and keeping the space open as park land, a potential dog park, skate park or amphitheater, referring to the survey results.
“It’s just a plot of land that we’ll use linked to that plan,” he said.
“I think if we do that, we want to be as specific as we can,” Evans said, using Kain’s suggestion as an example – ‘We’d like to make this open space with the current … building.. to be razed and replaced with recreational facilities such as a dog park, pickle ball courts, an amphitheater, whatever is needed. We want to list the potential uses.”
Salvucci foresees complaints about placing a dog part there, arguing that some of the land could be used to expand the public garden.
Evans agreed it is not a great location for a dog park.
Howe raised a red flag about whether there might be soil contamination there now.
“I have never been much into dog parks,” she said, voicing support for a combination of park and police presence to improve community relations.
“We’re in a time that we really need to get our law enforcement and our kids and our people back together,” she said. “I find no better way than animals like the comfort dogs and the police dogs and the people that run those programs.”
Community reaction to the police department’s comfort dogs has already made a big difference.
The building could be either renovated or replaced to serve as a headquarters for the police dogs program. Part of the building could house the Whitman Museum and the dog park can be added, too. With animal control and police officers coming and going, it would deter anyone would be likely to trash it.
“Other than that, we could look at a recreation center for youth,” she said.
“Money-wise, building a building isn’t realistic,” Kain said. “But building something like a dog park is cheap enough that we could use community preservation funds or grant money.”