ATHOL — The “Gem of Downtown Athol” took on a new sheen Thursday night as a design team from The Conway School’s Sustainable Landscape Planning and Design program presented their master plan for the revitalization of Silver Lake Park.
Graduate students Bo Carpen and Robbe Verhofste returned to the town hall for a second community meeting with two design alternatives based on public input collected from a meeting held earlier this month. Slides and maps displayed detailed concepts and improvements for the park.
Imagine a pedestrian path separate from the main road and parking area, a solar snack bar, or an educational play space based on Athol’s history as a mill town. “We see parks as part of the social culture, open to all people,” Verhofste said. Carpen explained that the plans show features that would benefit the community and how they would be implemented. Problematic areas such as storm water and erosion are also included in the designs.
One of the concepts for the park entitled “Urban Refuge,” accentuates the natural history and natural value of the lake using signs about the unique ecosystem and ecological history. The second “Eventful Park” concept attracts more people with events and increases security though community vigilance.
Safety concerns and pros and cons were considered for both designs. In the urban refuge version, vehicles are contained to the main entrance area, reducing isolated vehicles, and the lake loop road is accessible to pedestrians only. The “pros” include a pedestrian-focused design catering to walk-ability and bike-ability and kid play areas close to the sports fields. The “cons” offer no beach shore access, and a removed road might make police surveillance more difficult around the loop road.
A shared road in the “Eventful Park” would separate vehicles and pedestrians. The “pros” include additional parking and new features that would appeal to a wider audience. The “cons” are that the events require more maintenance, it is more expensive, and there is less separation of pedestrians and cars.
About 20 people in attendance were encouraged to add comments and ideas to varying plan designs placed on each table. The feedback was collected by the design team to develop into a plan to submit to the town Planning Board. Carpen said, “we’re hoping in the long run that you can find a happy medium.”
The three-month project period will be ending in two weeks. Carpen and Verhofste will accept additional input for the Silver Lake Park Master Plan no later than Friday, June 7. Submissions can be sent to Silverlake2019@csld.edu.