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Bean Farm Public Forum 3_1_10 and 12_7_09 Public Comments from Bean – Allard Task Force Forum March 1, 2010, 7pm – John F. Kennedy Middle School The Ideal Park/Recreation Center Barn silhouettes for buildings Parking areas – crushed stone Fencing – to look like ag/farm fencing Food growing near recfields (fruit,berries) Educational element Native plants/wildlife habitat Easy access (Allard) Least rocky/flat (Allard) Rec area close to Spring and/or Meadow Streets Common play area Community gardens near play area Welcoming area with enough space One field with artificial turf Covered area/pavilion with picnic tables Bathrooms/changing rooms Covered dugouts Comprehensive phased plan Play area spoke/wheel Concerns with crossing Meadow St. – Have all fields on one side of street Design based on soil analysis – where are most fertile soils? Maintenance – close together = less cost, less construction cost No chemicals on recreation fields, but ok for agriculture No games at night or lighting that doesn’t cast upwards (environmental concerns) Fields that can be turned to reduce wear Passive rec. along river – trails fishing Connection to Look Park by bridge Visible to/from street Sidelines – spectator space 20-ft (soccer) Community gardens One lighted field Walking trails along the river Tot lot, playground Split parking areas, less concentrated Maintain vista from Meadow St. Handicap Access Emergency access Open/ Conservation Land Forest flood plain Access trails Riparian corridor Northwest portion of Bean Berry farm (east Allard) not developed – it is very wet, reserve for fishing access or walking No walking trails close to river (erosion) Well-designed, designated paths Re-establish wetland/river buffer where it is not 200 feet Southeast portion of south Allard parcel Any area that floods Intermittent stream area Bean Farm (preserve vista from Look Park) No bridge from Look Park No baseball or soccer fields in 10-year flood plain Agricultural Land Private farmed Community gardens Viable economically for farmer(s) Community farm – diversified model with educational component Community supported agriculture farm Large, straight and contiguous parcels Keep rec. fields in one area No rec fields on western edge – would threaten funding APR Leave in large-scale farming (could mean more chemicals) Smaller scale = more humans = more impact on wildlife Were supposed to located community gardens at Vet’s Field Grants could be available for new fields vs existing fields What are current ag practices? General Concerns and Discussion Can’t refuse request for leagues Should be limits on number of playing fields Objective standards for number of fields The process is limiting Number of fields proposed is the bare minimum – 1- 60 ft diamond; 1- 90 ft diamond; 2 – multipurpose fields; 2 – soccer; 2- small/practice fields Consider organic standards for ag. and rec. Decentralized non-ag. land for rec fields Is Bean farm more attractive because it is drier? Old Ferry Rd. – indoor Impact on wildlife Structures in flood area Flood debris Flooding of rec. fields – cost of maintenance Need to share the “pain” of flooding issues Make sure fencing doesn’t dam or catch flood debris Meadow St. as a divider between rec areas – crossing danger Need to consider neighbors Limited access to Bean farm “Five finger blight” – issues with locating rec fields near produce fields Traffic issues – (540 cars/hour at Oxbow fields) Not appropriate to have recreation on ag land Deeply appropriate for recreation th Notes from Dec. 7 Bean Farm Public Forum Abutters Meeting—issues raised -Traffic -Noise -Maintenance -Access from Look Park Bridge -Parking -Size, # fields -Security ?s -Viability of farming -Mix of use -Reps on committee include local neighbors -Backyards -Bicycle safety -Access on Spring St. -Housing – what could be -Lights on field: probably not -Community gardens -Locally grown food Questions What are the compromise opportunities? i.e. smaller size fields for practicing (like batting cage style) so other sports fields can be open for games and scrimmages – also, on the agriculture side, what community garden or incubator farm opportunities exist? Are there plans for having public transportation available to this area? i.e. public or private buses for the teams? Buses for the farm shareholders? A bike path or even a sidewalk would help with all the obese members of our community Are there requirements for agriculture to be organic upon farm? Can the city do a food security plan? When houses are built on the perimeter, will they be required to limit their chemical use as well? So as not to contaminate the farm itself? Can the city, as owner of the property, dictate to farmers who lease the land what to grow OR will the land be put to its BEST agricultural use as determined by the farmer? How much of my tax dollars uses to develop, maintain the fields and are we going to ask for another override in the future that extends over the life of our taxes? Please post the offer to purchase and purchase and sale agreement on the city website within the next day or two. They are public records and we need to know the terms!! Consider the amount of water flowing from top of hill behind Avery (not sure if last word is correct) Have you weighed the “conservation value” (eg. habitat, food, etc.) of rec. fields versus farmland? Have you consulted with other communities (or outside experts) facing similar rec. pressures to see how they creatively solved their problems? Has the city pursued the option of renting field time from other towns? What are the statistics about numbers of boys v. number of girls that are served currently by competitive sports programs in Northampton? What is Look Park’s connection/vision to this land – such as to extending the bike path through the park to connect – also CPA money to construct new athletic fields within the park – are these being taken into account? With respect to the recreation department’s needs, how does the Bean Farm proposal relate to the proposal before the CPC to use dredge soil from Look Park’s pond to create additional playing fields? Spring St., as an alternate route from Look Park’s roundabout – how will this impact neighborhood in addition to constructing playing fields? Please assess the distribution of playing fields within the city limits. It seems that Florence is unduly burdened with more than its share of fields, traffic, and noise at Bridge St., Look Park, Riverside, and Burts Pit Rds. Have you consulted with other communities facing similar Rec pressures to see how they have solved that problem? Wildlife should be a consideration. Will there be more/too much displacement due to constriction of playing fields, parking lots, chemicals, lawn mowers, more traffic? We have wild turtles who have biannual crossing, as well as deer, mouse, bear, fox, etc. etc. etc. We need to be informed of all the consequences of redefining the flood plan. Can our existing farms be encouraged(??) to produce local produce? How much will it cost to build fully usable fields? What are implications for limits on future use? What will the roads/access be – parking too? What impact (loss of topsoil) in grading and construction of field? Is it necessary to determine ultimate use in order to purchase? Are there other areas in to (Armory?) with available acreage? What other examples exist around New England for community farm? What are funding source potential for each use? Can Smith College fields be used as a rec resource? Ware are carbon footprint implications for each possibility? What % of out of town? st How realistic to do all this by Feb. 1? Please provide a cost chart to clearly delineate the cost per type of athletic field of its construction and maintenance – and a cost comparison of 3 current options: 1) only agriculture 2) sports only 3) mixed usage If mixed use, what are the impacts (and needed guidelines) to have organic use next to rec fields? Is this a floodplain? Why is assistance needed for building permits? Need a traffic survey re: likely impact Analyses to be done Where will ongoing $ come from? Who will actually manage agricultural land? What’s the comprehensive plan for rec usage city wide? Ben Goldberg:  please identify the other options besides competitive sports that provide leadership skills, community spirit, personal empowerment, and self-esteem.  Please visit www.growingpower.org to see a great example of the potential of urban agriculture  Ag. Education is one of the fastest growing academic areas for achieving positive academic results How much can other rec organizations contribute? What will be required to build and maintain rec fields and where will $ come from? What would parking needs be for rec use? How much acreage to feed city if we could not import food? What are pros and cons of centralized v. distributed rec fields? What has city learned from public safety issues on Island Road? What impact would rec usage have on potential ag. use? What are implications of former toxins (orchard) for either ag. or rec. use? What is chemical history of all land  implications? Are there solutions to wet areas to improve options? What are acceptable maintenance chemicals/fertilizer etc. proposed uses Will this require site plan approval? This land is an important wildlife corridor – How will wildlife be impacted by athletic fields, parking lots, added traffic, noise, and possible night light? Don’t forget historical significance – include historical commission? What concessions/accommodations will be made to the two property owners who property abuts the entrance to the fields (ex: privacy fences, sound barrier walls, etc.) Has the town approached the Allard farm owners and offered to buy a parcel to create parking areas that are less disruptive to the neighborhood? How will future meetings (or communications) for “Abutters and Neighbors” be communicated so that ALL will know about it? (Today’s meeting was not well- publicized for all of us!) Has the city considered the vast amounts of unused land (parking lots) on King St.? Questions submitted by email Is there evidence that this land is / was found not to be, in any flood plain (please define floodplain(s))? Is there evidence that this land is surrounded by river and flood plain? Altitude/ height above river, please? Has the Conservation Commission or another city body verified that this land is available for development as envisioned by your possible plan? Can you give me examples of where 22+- homes have been built on a comparable piece of land ( bottomland only , not the upland) this decade in W. MA? How many vehicles would need to be accomodated for 7 recreation fields? What size lot would that be? Where would 'run-off' from this land go? Has there been a survey of species (generally/endangered/threatened), on this land?