Powerpoint: Open Space Recreation and MultiUse Trail Plan 2011-2017
Vegetation & Wildlife Environmental Challenges Resources Farmland Soils Water
1800 1850 1900 Population Density Current 1950
Environmental Justice Access Health Impacts
1. Conservation Management Objective: natural systems AND user-friendly • Maintain Conservation Areas • Remove Exotic Invasive Plans • Restore natural systems • Document existing conditions
• Identify places for fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, ORV, horses, and mountain bikes Lead: Conservation Commission and Office of Planning and Development
Conservation Maintenance
Accessibility (ADA& 504)
2. Conservation Acquisitions Objective: 25%of City-most ecologically valuable and intact ecological areas • Broad Brook/Fitzgerald Lake • Saw Mill Hills/Roberts Hill • Mineral Hills/Marble
Brook • Southern Tier/Parsons Brook • Mill River Greenway and Beaver Brook (inc. Bean) • Connecticut Greenway, Conte Wildlife, Arcadia Wildlife • Greenways & blueways: water and wildlife
corridors Lead: Conservation Commission and Office of Planning and Development
Broad and Beaver Brooks/Fitz. Lake Connect along waterways
Mineral Hills & Saw Mill Hills Connect along waterways and ridgetops
W. Farms, Florence & Parsons Brook Connect along waterways & trailways
Mill River Greenway AND Historic Mill River •Connect along waterways and historic waterways
Conn. River Greenway and Meadows Cons. Area Connect along waterways and trailways
•Connect along trailways State Hospital area
3. Conservation Acquisitions Objective: Quality of life by connecting to all neighborhoods/urban areas • Mill River • Historic Mill River • Rail trail buffers • Dense neighborhoods (e.g.
Florence/downtown) Lead: Conservation Commission and Office of Planning and Development
Barrett St. Marsh/New Haven Canal •Connect along waterways and trailways
4. Agriculture Acquisitions Objective: Preserve farmland • Farmland as part of larger conservation areas • APRs on any other available farmland – State APR funding when possible – Local
APR funding or CR equivalent otherwise • Consider focus on sustainability • Create additional community garden plots Lead: Conservation Commission and Office of Planning and Development
with Agriculture Commission. Recreation Dept. for community gardens
Bean/Allard Farms: from Look Park Courtesy of Richard Shephard, Aerial Photography
5. Agriculture Operations Objective: Ensure Farmers for Farmland • Some agriculture exemptions (wetlands and zoning) • Enhance farmer viability • Keep Farming program Lead: Agriculture
Commission and Office of Planning and Development
6. Recreation Acquisition Objective: Land base for recreation • 24 acre recreation area at Allard property • Expand Sheldon Field • Transfer Ray Ellerbrook Recreation Area to Recreation
Commission. • Small recreation opportunities adjacent to schools and neighborhoods Lead: Recreation Commission, Recreation Department, Office of Planning and Development
Recreation Assessment Limited sites for 1-2 fields Extremely limited for more fields
7. Recreation Development Objective: Make recreation improvements • Develop Florence Fields (Allard) • Rehabilitate and expand Sheldon Field • Rehabilitate Maine’s Field • Complete Vets
Field improvements • Consider Ellerbrook Field needs • Capital improvements other areas Lead: Recreation Commission and Recreation Department
New Recreation Needs Improvements of the last decade • Bocce (Maine’s Field) • Disk golf (State Hospital) • Skate board park (Vets Field) • Tot lots (Florence Heights) • Informal “Dog
Park” (State Hospital) What are the new needs?
Minimize Environmental Footprint
8. Conn. River Boathouse Objective: Create mixed use watefront park • Develop permanent community boathouse • High school, Smith, and community rowing • Canoes and kayaks Lead: Conservation
Commission, Recreation Commission, Office of Planning and Development, Recreation Department, and Northampton Youth and Community Rowing
9. Recreation Maintenance Objective: Maintain existing resources • Develop partnerships with user groups • City primary responsible agency • Improve handicap accessibility options Lead:
Recreation Commission and Recreation Department
Accessibility (ADA & 504)
10. Multi-Use Trail Development Objective: 75% of city easy access to trail • Connecticut River rail trail to Hatfield • Manhan Rail Trail spur to Ryan Road area • Manhan Rail Trail
spur to Manhan River • Norwottuck Rail Trail railroad tunnel • Norwottuck VA Hospital spur • Improved access to neighborhoods as multi-use spurs and standalone “short-cuts” Lead: Office
of Planning and Development, with Transportation and Parking and Bicycle and Pedestrian
Multi-Use Trail Development
11. Pavement to Parks Objective: Reclaim key developed areas • City Hall Plaza (safety and gathering) • Historic Mill River at Pleasant St • Historical wetlands • Industrial Dr. circle
Lead: Office of Planning and Development, w/varied partners
12. Heritage Landscapes Objective: Focus on where history meets the landscape • Working landscapes • Historic features Lead: Conservation Commission, Recreation Commission, Historical
Commission, Agriculture Commission and Office of Planning and Development
13. Improve Public Awareness Objective: Inform public of resources • Web based information • Media coverage • Annual recreation mailing • Rail trail signage program N h PLAYS • Improved
visibility of access points Northampton Google Maps mashup p y p • Increase Natural and Historical Interpretation Lead: Recreation Department and Office of Planning and Development
New Haven and Northampton Canal
Community Participation Public Forum: 9/14/10 Public Forum: 9/24/10 Public Forum: 10/18/10 Broad Brook: 10/13/10 Historic 10/27/10: endorsed Cons Com 10/28/10: adopted Planning 10/28/10:
adopted Recreation 11/1/10: adopted Agriculture 11/15/10: Transportation 11/16/10: City Council 11/4/10: