City’s park plans get fair response

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Mind the trees, protect the shoreline. Consider safety and flexibility. Give people places to play, ply and ponder.

Responses to still-developing plans for Waterfront Park – presented to about 40 people Monday at City Hall – mostly echoed public comments gathered by the city in April.

Still, some new ideas arose during the small group work that closed the meeting. Make the new pier both a small gathering place for the community and a welcome mat for visiting boaters that would guide them up the hill into town. Create a walking loop. And think very carefully about where to put a boat ramp.

“It’s right in the heart of the park,” said Robert Dashiell, of the ramp’s location in the latest design. “There’s going to be a lot of activity and congestion around there, especially in the summer.”

Dashiell – who sometimes kayaks from the park – recognized the need for the ramp, but would prefer to see it moved elsewhere for safety reasons, and to make way for other uses. Others wanted to keep it right where it was, preferring to emphasize water-based recreation.

Meanwhile, the city has launched full-swing into design efforts for the five-and-a-half acre park. The goal, said Winslow Tomorrow project manager Sandy Fischer, is to create a series of “terraces” that connect the harbor and park to downtown Winslow. Plans include longer, wider docks, better trails, public art and an open-air performance shed.

A new restroom – funds for which have already been allocated – will likely go to bid next month, with construction set to begin in the spring.

Comments from the meeting will be collated and put online at the project’s website, accessible via the city website. The project will go before council Dec. 13.