Imagine a park that runs the length of South Lake Drive, complete with viewing platforms for birding, docks for fishing, and a pavilion that could be used as an outdoor classroom.

That vision was shared by Magnus Thorsson during the financial town meeting in late May, and revisited by members of the Barrington Town Council during their meeting in early June.  

The Council, acting upon a recommendation by Thorsson and the Resilience and Energy Committee, voted unanimously to dedicate up to $10,000 to design the South Lake Drive educational and resilience park. 

Kelly Reiss, the chairwoman of the town’s Open Space Committee, attended the June 3 Council meeting and spoke about the South Lake Drive area. 

Reiss said there is an opportunity to create a green space where the community can gather. She mentioned the fish ladder that exists near the southern tip of Echo Lake. Reiss said South Lake Drive is close to the middle school and could be used as an outdoor educational area. 

Reiss also said the Open Space Committee had earlier requested that the South Lake Drive area be improved. 

She said the request was for $25,000 to create a conceptual plan. 

“This is not a big ask,” Reiss said, adding that having a conceptual design in-hand would allow the town to be shovel-ready for any work in the future should grant money become available. 

Reiss’s message was very similar to the one shared by Thorsson at the FTM. At that meeting, Thorsson made a motion to fund up to $25,000 for a conceptual design for a public open space on South Lake Drive, “aimed at revitalizing the blighted area…” The motion proposed that the open space would connect the East Bay Bike Path to Sowams Woods and include facilities for fishing, biking, walking and outdoor environmental education.

The motion failed, however, as some people at the FTM wanted to learn more about the plans first, and mentioned other improvements earmarked for South Lake Drive. 

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey, in a recent memo, wrote that in 2022 the Town Council authorized American Rescue Plan Act funds to complete engineering plans to convert South Lake Drive into a multi-use path, similar to the East Bay Bike Park. 

Hervey wrote that the plan for a South Lake Drive park proposed by Thorsson at the FTM “should be kept separate from the South Lake Drive bike path project…” He also wrote that construction of the new park should wait until after the bike path project is completed. 

Council support

At the June 3 meeting, Council member Rob Humm told Reiss that the proposal was great. He said he spoke to residents who live in that part of town and they fully support the work. 

Council member Kate Berard asked that signs for the fish ladder and Sowams Woods area be included in the plans, and she supported the idea of a place where schools or other groups could gather. 

Berard asked Reiss where the $25,000 figure came from. Reiss said there had been a prior estimate of $18,000 for the work, adding that it should not be a big lift. 

A short time later, Berard asked Hervey if $10,000 was an appropriate amount of funding for the design. Hervey said the town can get a lot of work done at the conceptual level for $10,000. He added that the scope of the work was bit undefined — for example, a biological survey of all plants along South Lake Drive would cost more. 

Council President Carl Kustell asked what level of detail would be included in a conceptual design. There was some discussion about including plans for the property that sits between South Lake Drive and the East Bay Bike Path.

Kustell then made a motion to approve the funds for the design work. Humm seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

More support

Francisco Lovera, the chairman of the Barrington Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, said he supports the idea, as it would supplement the biking infrastructure that already exists in town. He said his only concern was that the north end of the park and the new path be properly connected to the East Bay Bike Path. 

Maura McCrann, a member of the BPAC, said she would like to see the area made more accessible. She said people will want to come from all over town to use the park, but having more cars traveling to that space runs counter to the environmental goals of the committee. McCrann said she wants to make sure people prioritize access to these spaces. 

Tom Rimoshytus encouraged town officials to add bike lanes so that the different trails can be connected throughout town.