The Great Lawn Revisited

Keep the "status quo" on the Great Lawn but bring back the ad hoc commission. A number of years ago after the Town paid $525,000 for the Great Lawn, the Board of Directors set up an hoc commission to make recommendations for the Great Lawn. The Commission suggested some benches, walking paths etc. No action was taken at the time, possibly because of economic concerns.

Now that the town has revisited the status the Great Lawn and decided to take no action to change its status (i.e. maintain Town control) perhaps it's time to bring back the Commission to review it's recommendations and take some action on them.

The Great Lawn at Cheney Mansions represents a tremendous historic natural asset for the Town of Manchester. It should be kept under Town control and not put in a restrictive Trust. It has the potential for a being a beautiful park with benches and strolling paths (as recommended by the ad hoc commission) and activities such as cross country skiing, sledding, and other low impact use while still being kept open and relatively undeveloped. Keeping it under Town control, as it is now, would leave the option for it to be used for some now unforeseen need in the future. Given the vigilance of our townspeople it would have to be a dire need to use it for anything but open recreational land.

Turning it over to the State Trust for Historic Preservation would place permanent, unnecessary restrictions on it and take it totally out of control of the Town and it’s taxpayers forever. Designating it as a Local Historic Property and creating another permanent Commission with nothing to do is also unnecessary.

I agree with the Mayor – we entrust our Directors to do the best for our Town. Let’s keep it under our control. But let’s throw in a few benches and walking trails so the taxpayers can get some pleasure out of it in addition to the beautiful view afforded to those living in the Cheney Mansions and those of us passing by on Hartford Road.