New Designs for the North

Conway School students Aaron Dell (seated at table left) and Aspen Anderson (seated at table right) seek public feedback on preliminary concept designs at Give a Hoot About the Park on May 19.

As the D.W. Field Park Initiative wraps up phase 1 of planning for the middle section of D.W. Field Park (between Oak St. and South St.), with a draft master plan being released to the public for comment in July 2024, phase 2 of planning for the northern section of the park is already well underway.

Funding from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program grant received by the Town of Avon in summer 2023 launched planning for the northern section of the park between South St. and Old Pond St. This funding made the following projects possible over the past year:

• The acquisition of 30 forested acres adjacent to the park, which is now protected for conservation.

• A robust outreach plan that included hosting Give a Hoot About the Park on May 19, as well as field interviews, focus groups, a dedicated steering committee, educational exhibits, and the launch of this very website.

• A trail feasibility study of forested areas in and around the Park.

• A stormwater assessment for the northern section of the Park.

• Concept Designs for the northern section of the Park, produced by graduate students at the Conway School.

Graduate students Aaron Dell and Aspen Anderson prepared this thorough report for the northern section of the Park, including the new 30 acres off South St. Please give it a read and let us know your thoughts! You can also find this report in the “reports” section of this website.

Planning in phase 2 is not over! Committees of municipal, nonprofit, and community partners will continue to plan implementation of projects and apply for funding for both phase 1 and phase 2, with plenty of opportunity for public input.

Opportunities for public input on phase 1 planning will launch in early July, so stay tuned!