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Pittsfield Parks Commission Sees Plans for New Pontoosuc Lake Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new Pontoosuc Lake Park is one step closer.

The Parks Commission saw a final master plan for the park on last week after months of preparation.  Next, the city will advertise it to the community to solicit feedback.

"What we're going to present to you this evening is the culmination of all of that input from the community, the commission, from neighbors, the abutters, other stakeholders," Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said.

"And I think this represents a significant improvement to the park."

The design includes a swimming area, floating docks, an accessible kayak and canoe launch, changing facilities, an open lawn, and a shoreline walk on the north side of the park. On the south side off of Hancock Road, there are new access stairs, a lake promenade and pier, wetland and shore restorations, new picnic areas, and accessible paths and parking.

To connect the two parks, there will be a new sidewalk to improve transit or pedestrians.

The plans can be found on the city website here.

The commission responded positively to the design elements though there was no formal approval on the table for this meeting.

During public input, it was emphasized that the south area needs better accessibility because of the steep nature of the property. People also asked for the parcel's iconic pine trees to be preserved, which have been honored with select tree thinning and removal planned to remove just the dead trees.

A new family beach area will replace the failing concrete wall on the north side of Pontoosuc Park.

"The family swimming area is bounded by a new dock system and those that are familiar with the history of Pontoosuc Lake Park know that we used to have a U-shaped dock system on the south side of the old beach area here," McGrath said.

"So this sort of brings back the historical element and creates real safe space, but what's not shown on this plan is that we have a swimming platform here and that's something we don't have either at Onota Lake or Pontoosuc Lake and that's really a nice attractive feature."

In February, the commission was presented with various different design proposals for each side of the park. This plan is simpler than the others and draws on the swimming area as the largest attraction.



"Of all the schemes that we had developed this is kind of the less is more approach, but I think appropriately meets the needs for swimming, handicap access, changing and restrooms, and maintains some sort of lawn areas and the existing shade trees," McGrath explained.

"It doesn't propose any new plantings, we're mindful of views are afforded by folks that live in the condominiums and the general sweeping views for those that are utilizing this area."

He said the keystone feature of the south side is the 10-foot wide promenade that goes along the shoreline with picnic tables and resting spaces along the way.

"This is the destination," he said about the plaza area. "If you're coming down the stairs that's the destination, if you're coming down the pathway that's the destination but oh, there's more, you continue on and you end up over the top of the water."

He added that he imagines this area as the place where young couples will take their prom photos in the future.

The city began the venture to transform the Pontoosuc Lake Park last year. The revisioning is part of a long-range open space and recreation plan for the city.

An online survey was released during the month of September that queried the public on their current uses for the park and how it should look in the future. It generated 225 responses from residents and people living out of town.

In November, there were two public input sessions, one virtual and one in person.  The community's wishes were used to fuel designs created by  Berkshire Design Group out of Northampton, which was hired for the project.

McGrath reported that this is likely a $1.5 million to $2 million dollar construction.

In the next couple of weeks, the city will share the plan with the community and bring it back to the commission's June meeting for an update.


Tags: Pontoosuc,   public parks,   

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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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