A consulting firm the town hired to take a more “scientific” approach to possible development of a waterfront park in the Lower Village reported its preliminary findings Monday.
Travis Pryor, project manager with Wright-Pierce, gave an approximately 15-minute overview of the 21-page draft Lower Village Waterfront Access Study report during a public meeting Monday. He said the consultants continue to seek additional public input before finalizing the report in December.
A State Planning Office Shore and Harbor grant funded the study.
Rich Roedner, Topsham’s planner, said the input session on the draft report served to follow up three focus group meetings held with different groups of stakeholders, including land owners, neighbors and business owners in the Green and Main streets area by the town’s old fire station; as well as a general public meeting held in September about possible waterfront access.
The 1996 Main Street Vision Plan; 2005 Comprehensive Plan and 2008 Main Street Village Plan all suggested a Lower Village park area.
However, those proposals have yet to move beyond the conceptual stage. The Wright- Pierce study aims to advance the project.
Roedner said Monday that many townspeople who responded to the study listed hand-carry boat access as a priority. Public space along the waterfront also garnered considerable support, as did good views of the river. Roedner said they also heard a lot about improvements to pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the Lower Village.
Neighbors voiced concern that any park should be of scale so that it doesn’t overwhelm the residential neighborhood.
And the other sentiment is “Don’t let it languish,” but push the park project forward if there is a consensus Roedner said. To that end, an article on the Nov. 30 special town meeting warrant will ask voters to spend $26,000 from a quality of life account to create park designs in keeping with this waterfront access study.
One person who attended Monday’s meeting asked if the town plans to acquire the former fire station property on Green Street. Roedner and the consultants explained that landowners are open to talking if not about outright sale of property, then a possible easement or partnerships to help the town move forward with the effort.
However, they asked to see a plan before discussing sale or easements for property in the target area.
Roedner said he hopes to present four of five designs, if voters approve funding on Nov. 30.
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