Plans for the erection of a permanent stage, to be located at the Town Beach Complex under the direction of the Parks and Recreation Department, were revealed at the Town Council meeting in December.

The project has been in the works for some time but was delayed when the State Building Official determined that the previous plan had placed the stage in a flood zone. The former location was at the end of the last field on the left as you head down Walter Burke Drive toward the Town Beach, also known as the “Horse Field”. That’s also the field with direct vehicular access via a gate on Colt Drive.

The new location is also on the west side of the Horse Field, but further away from Walter Burke Drive. According to Parks and Recreation Director Warren Rensehausen, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has signed off on the project.

The structure itself is manufactured by Cedar Forest Products, the same company that the state parks use for structures throughout the State Park system. The bulk of the structure is the stage area itself, though there is a small room on the back that will house all the electrical panels and necessary utilities.

The dimensions are 42’ wide by 24’ deep with a pitched roof that will shed snow. The town will also construct a small gravel road along the west wide of the Horse Field, leading to the stage.

Town Administrator Steven Contente said that he has already shared the schematics of the stage with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, as he has been hoping to resume their popular “Last Night” performance that was traditionally held the Sunday before Labor Day. It was cancelled over the past several years in part due to the high cost of renting a stage for the one-night event.

The town is still awaiting Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) approval on the amended application, though Rensehausen does not anticipate any issues. The electrical and earth work will soon go out to bid, and Rensehausen plans to pay for the project with a $150,000 grant that Bristol got from Rhode Island Commerce that came from the state’s federal Covid relief funding.

Councilor Aaron Ley asked if the Town Beach stage would not be a preferable location for the July 4th Concert Series over Independence Park, at least from a public safety standpoint. Contente agreed that, yes, it is, but it whether the 4th of July Committee chooses to use it or not is entirely up to them.

“I don't want to dismiss Independence Park — it is a great location and the 4th of July Committee may very well continue to have their concerts there. But if they decide to move to the Town Beach complex, there are benefits to it,” said Contente. “It's a more controlled environment, it’s not in a settled area, and parking is much safer and more available, and it's further away from any roadway. There aren't buildings around it and it's a little bit easier to monitor.”

Still, Contente said that while the invitation is there, the expectation is not.