BIDDEFORD — Shevenell Park is a pocket park at 149 Main St., offering a slice of open space where a building once stood.

“It’s a great asset,” said Leah Schaffer, who “adopted” the park through the Adopt A Park program, which is run by local economic development group Heart of Biddeford in conjunction with the city.

Schaffer volunteers her time each week to do general clean-up of the park, which includes picking up trash, pruning plants and sweeping the concrete walkways.

The park is well used, said Schaffer. She estimates the park is about 36 feet wide and about 50 to 60 feet long. Tucked between two buildings, it offers a quiet oasis for people to relax in the downtown, she said, and is also used for events that include a free summer concert series.

Schaffer, who is an architect, said she became interested in adopting the park because she walked past it frequently and she thinks community parks are important to a city’s vitality.

Schaffer and other Heart of Biddeford Design Committee members would like to see improvements made to the park to make it more inviting.

Heart of Biddeford Design Committee Member Holly Culloton said the park has some trees that provide nice shade but are getting overgrown and will need to be replaced. Culloton said she’d also like to see a small stage installed that could be used for outdoor concerts or plays. She said she’d like to see the seating rearranged so that instead of being funneled into the center of the park, there would be some seating arranged so that people could sit and have a private conversation.

Schaffer said other ideas include ways to make the park more interactive, such as installing tables with checker boards or painting a hopscotch game on the walkway.

She said would like to get input from young people and hopes to have  brainstorming sessions with teenagers through the Heart of Biddeford and local community arts group Engine.

“It’s really nice to bring that voice to the table,” said Schaffer.

Schaffer said she would like to see young people be involved in the creative process and learn about the different stages of a project, from community input to completion.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.