Conservation Trust President Peter Dorward and member Jim Lee attended the May 2 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. Lee explained that they were speaking on behalf of the Conservation Commission to ask for Parks and Rec’s help in creating an updated open space and recreation plan. In order for a town to receive state grants, it must draw up a new plan every five years. Harvard is overdue, with its last plan done in 2008 but not submitted until 2011.
The document will set out a vision and an action plan for purchasing and maintaining open space. Lee said there is a need for community input to the plan, and the conservation groups are creating a survey to go live as early as the end of this week and run for about three weeks. They want input on questions from Parks and Rec and other town groups. Lee noted there is an urgency to get a draft of the plan done by July 13, explaining that the trust is trying to purchase a piece of property that it would fund through a state grant; the commission would then issue a conservation restriction on the property. And, Lee reiterated, to get a grant, the town has to have filed a plan with the state.
Parks and Rec Chairwoman Wynona Lynch-McWhite said that what Parks and Rec really wants is more playing fields, suggesting that the town has a lot of conservation land but little of it can be used for active recreation. Lee responded that the process to get more fields would begin by documenting the town’s expressed need—and that would come out in a survey. Parks and Rec’s field liaison, Doug Thornton, asked if there might also be a survey question about a turf field, saying it’s something people talk about. Lee said the survey would be the perfect vehicle to learn how extensive the desire is.
Lynch-McWhite again expressed her concern saying, “We agree on the goal of more open space,” but she implied that then the two groups part ways, with the trust supporting conservation and Parks and Rec wanting fields for town sports. Lee pointed out that both Harvard Park and Charlie Waite Field came about as a result of an open space and recreation plan that reflected the public’s desire for walking trails and a playing field.
Parks and Rec new commission member Frank Culmone and Thornton volunteered to help with the survey, the link for which will be posted on the town website.
