River Swimming-assessment-preliminary-WF8.4.2020Preliminary Assessment of Opportunities for Increased Water Recreation in Northampton (8.4.2020) Northampton Office of Planning & Sustainability Challenge: There is a clear demonstrated demand for more informal and well managed swimming area. Heavy recreation use at informal swimming areas has demonstrated strong user needs (“desire lines”). Recreational use has increased dramatically, driven by increasing periods of summer heat, by word‐of‐mouth and social media awareness of these swimming opportunities, and, in 2020, with Covid‐19 restrictions on alternative recreation opportunities. Sites are being loved to death, with trash, human waste, noise, and traffic problems. Neighborhood complaints and conflicts have increased dramatically with increased use and abuse. Private property owners, where many although not all, of these swimming areas are located are not addressing all of the abuse. Public property owners, especially the city, has limited resources to manage existing recreation and conservation areas and may not have the resources to address increased use and new recreation needs. Public or private enforcement (nuisance, parking, trash, waste, and noise) cannot extinguish desire lines or address all issues. Because recreation users are disproportionately populations of color, enforcement actions would disproportionately affect populations of color. The City and the community needs to explore improving formal or informal swimming and whether resources (from grant funds, user fees, other public funds, and/or other sources) can be made available to address these needs Immediate operational changes for private landowners and public agencies may be needed for 2020. Increased recreation opportunities will take multiple years, but the conversation needs to start now. The city has performed this preliminary assessment to open the conversation. All findings are preliminary only and subject to change. For more information, contact Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning & Sustainability, WFeiden@NorthamptonMA.gov Existing‐ some potential improvements Worth exploring in greater detail Not viable Area Ownership Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Management YMCA pool Massasoit St YMCA Existing Serves the public well Very popular 1. Limited capacity and cannot meet demand 2. Does not address the desire lines on Mill River: outdoor, free swimming, picnicking Sites all work well. Any funding to underwrite memberships, parking, and picnic fees and expand picnic opportunities could expand those served Day use and membership Northampton Country Club pool Spring Street Country Club Membership only Aquatic Center pool at JFK Bridge Road City Day use and membership Musante Beach Reservoir Road City Day use only (pre‐covid‐membership) Look Park Spray Pool North Main St Look Park/ City Fee for parking and picnic tables. Entry is free
Conn. Riverfront Park Damon Road City New deposition of sand bar makes space available 1. No water/sewer 2. Swift currents 3. Boater/traffic conflicts Potential development with facilities, especially if waterless toilets sufficient. Grants probably available with sufficient lead time (although grants limit resident/non‐resident fee differential. Address land ownership, noise, trash, parking, and user conflicts: 1. Free with part‐time river steward and otherwise no staffing 2. Fees and staffed‐ creating tension between keeping sites affordable and keeping management self‐sustaining. 3. Parking fees (or residents‐only parking with paid parking non‐residents) Mill River, Maines Field Riverside Drive City Existing and heavily used Available parking Controllable entrance Good river access/beach Bathroom available 1. Bathroom needs to be upgraded 2. Flood prone Mill River, Nonotuck Dam Cross St. & Pine St Private Existing and heavily used 1. Majority is private property 2. Unsafe dam 3. Neighborhood conflicts 4. Very limited or no water, and sewer 5. Water quality and need for testing 6. Under all scenarios‐ City maintenance resources limited and unclear if new sites are viable Mill River, upriver Cook Dam Spring Street City Existing and heavily used Mill River, Cook Dam Spring St Private Existing and heavily used Mill River, Orange Dam Florence St/Mulberry Private Existing and heavily used Mill River, State Hospital Ag. Burts Pit Road State City Private Very small dip areas Size limited, distance from road None River steward could monitor all river sites but not viable solution Other Mill River areas (e.g., Look Park, Paradise Pond Private Public Extremely small dip areas Size limited, distance from road None Not viable Manhan River, Clear Falls Drury Lane Private Historically was great swim area Dam has been opened and major environmental challenges to use Could allow simple informal use if purchased Simple swim hole if purchased by city but not viable solution Conn. River Greenway Elwell Island, Damon Road City Was heavily used; now lightly used Only accessible by boat. Storm devastated beach None Not viable Conn. River Greenway Rainbow Beach City Heavily used Only accessible by boat. Road access would be extremely difficult. None Not viable Fitzgerald Lake, N. Farms City Public Mucky bottom, not desirable Very expensive beach development but still no facilities Not viable Water Supply Reservoirs City NOT VIABLE‐ water supply or emergency water supply
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Document Path: J:\mxd\water_spots.mxdCoordinate System: NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts Mainland FIPS 2001Projection: Lambert Conformal ConicDatum: North American 1983False Easting: 200,000.0000False Northing: 750,000.0000Central Meridian: -71.5000Standard Parallel 1: 41.7167Standard Parallel 2: 42.6833Latitude Of Origin: 41.0000Units: Meter
Date: 8/4/2020
water recreationstatus
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!(not viable for major new effort