About 20 residents, town officials, and representatives from companies advocating for the construction of a grant-funded, multi-building recreational facility at Burr’s Hill Park gathered last Wednesday to go over a new design for the project — alleviating some concerns over the appearance of the buildings but leaving other questions about the permanence and upkeep of the structures.

The site visit was led by Town Manager Kate Michaud, who re-introduced Andrew Naperotic, Principal and co-founder of Addaspace, to go over new renderings for the site.

“It looks very different to what you originally saw,” Naperotic said, referencing the first proposal Addaspace had submitted to the town, which generated substantial negative feedback regarding the buildings’ resemblance to industrial shipping containers when the proposal was discussed during a community meeting in April.

The new renderings showed much more neutral structures clad in cedar shingles and painted gray, with slightly sloped roofs and more space between each structure. As proposed before, the facility would include three separate buildings with a specified use: a concessions stand, a restroom (with a men’s, women’s, and ADA bathroom), and a building comprised of two joined units that would provide office and storage space for the Parks and Recreation Department.

The actual placement of the proposed structures has also been adjusted, pushed back further towards the park’s property line at the southeastern end of the parking lot and extending close to the west end of the band shell.

Michaud said that the concession stand, which had also generated some negative discussion earlier in the year, had also been scaled back.
“Originally the concession stand was bigger, and we scaled it back so it’s basically just refrigeration, a microwave to heat things up, and a sink to clean dishes,” she said. “It would not be something that would be operating all the time.”

Parks and Recreation Director Tara Thibaudeau said that the concession stand could be operated during events at Burr’s Hill and during summer camp hours.

Mobility and upkeep concerns raised
Of the handful of residents who attended the site visit, a primary concern voiced was whether or not the structures would be able to be removed when not in use, such as during the fall and winter months. During a public charrette in May, residents seemed to reach a consensus that a movable structure would be preferred to a permanent one.

Naperotic insisted that the structures could be designed to be removable, depending on how the buildings were anchored into the ground. However, moving the structures would require the hiring of movers and likely a crane to accomplish. The budget for the building of the structures, which is being paid for by a grant, does not include such costs.

“At what point are we going to decide how permanent these are? It seems there are a lot of questions about whether this is really going to be taken away during the winter,” said Bridge Street resident Christine Hawkinson. “Is this a three-month-a-year commitment or a 12-month-a-year commitment to having these structures here? And at what point do you make that decision?”

Town Planner Bob Rulli said that such a decision would be up to the Town Council.

“There’s going to be budget constraints that will inform our decisions and all kinds of things being taken into consideration,” answered Town Council member Keri Cronin.

“I just want to be clear about what’s being communicated,” Hawkinson said later. “There’s been talk about it being movable, but if there’s no intent or budget or anything to actually move it, then it’s not movable. So let’s just be clear about what’s being planned.”

Bridge Street resident and park abutter Toby Rodriques made his opinion known early and often that he is concerned about the proximity of the structure to residents on the neighboring Bridge Street. As a constant observer of goings on at the park, particularly involving unruly juveniles, he was primarily concerned about the town being able to maintain the structures and prevent them from becoming run down and vandalized.

“That’s my concern — it turning into an eyesore if we don’t maintain it,” he said.

Addressing that concern was a two-fold approach, according to Michaud.
“That’s going to be an enforcement issue,” she said. “Part of the budget is to include security cameras, so there would be cameras on the site that are monitored at the police station.”

Michaud added that DPW Director Brian Wheeler has been involved in the planning process to ensure that upkeep and maintenance of the facility, should it be approved, was not something they couldn’t handle.

Addressing residents’ concerns, Chris Cote, Principal of Cote Architecture (assisting Addaspace on the design elements), said that finding the right balance between aesthetics and functionality was the main challenge for the site project.

“It would be very easy to pull in some trailers here or put up temporary tents or have some not very nice looking sheds,” he said. “Something that is potentially a little bit more permanent can also be something, with the landscaping and nice looking buildings, yes there’s the potential that equals something more permanent, but the intention is to create something that’s beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.”