Politics & Government

Board of Directors Reviews Center Springs Park Expansion Proposal

The plans would expand Center Springs Park out to Broad Street and open up the area to more recreation and green space.

The Board of Directors got a preview of what an expanded Center Springs Park could some day look like, as well as the planned connection to the Bigelow Brook Greenway that is part of the town's plans to beautify and . 

The board was presented with design schematics drafted by the Manchester-based engineering firm of Fuss & O'Neill Tuesday morning by members of the Manchester Redevelopment Agency and the town's Panning & Economic Development department. 

The plans, which General Manager Scott Shanley stressed were just a proposal at this point, would see the Bigelow Brook Greenway extended north through town from the Hockanum River Trail until it fed into the area that is now occupied by the Broad Street Parkade. The town bought the 19-acre Broad Street Parkade property last year and is in the process of demolishing the dilapidated shopping plaza on the site. The town is hoping to make the area attractive enough to entice private developers. 

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Under the proposal put forth by Fuss & O'Neill, the Bigelow Brook Greenway would occupy about 1.5 acres of the parkade property, and would consist mainly of a linear park area and a walking/biking trail. Director of Neighborhood Services and Economic Development Mark Pellegrini said that under the design the greenway would also be used as a drainage basin for storm water from the parked property, which would be something that a private developer would not have to factor into any construction plans for the parcel. 

"It's designed to contain about 85 percent of the storm water coming off the parkade property, so it's a significant asset for the development itself," Pellegrini said. 

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The second park of Fuss & O'Neill's design, an expansion of Center Springs Park, would involve the construction of a vehicular roundabout between Broad and Edgerton streets to connect the trail to the park, as well as provide pedestrian and bike access. Fuss & O'Neill also drafted a second schematic that does not include construction of the roundabout and just connects the trail to the park through a pedestrian bridge, which is estimated to be less expensive. 

General Manager Scott Shanley said that both proposals were only concepts at this point and that the town did not even have cost estimates for either one yet. Shanley said in its finished report Fuss & O'Neill will include estimates for the work, and then the Redevelopment Agency will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors, who has finally authority to approve the plan. 

"At some point the redevelopment agency will have to make a formal recommendation, and then they will have to come to you," Shanley told the board. 

Several board members expressed concern over the potential costs of the project. 

"I just want to caution you guys, because I know how exciting it is to look at this aspect," said Cheri Pelletier, a Republican member of the Board of Directors. "We really need to get some development up and running there to really be able to afford a lot of this." 

Pellegrini said that the Bigelow Brook Greenway and the Center Springs Park connector are being approached as two separate projects, and that there was likely already enough funds to get to work on the greenway based on money that had already been approved for the redevelopment of Broad Street through bond referendums. 

"Everybody agrees on that part of the study, so we might just tell Fuss & O'Neill to give us the schematics and costs on that part first," Pellegrini said. 
Pellegrini said a decision would likely be made by the Redevelopment Agency sometime in April, after first holding a public meeting on the proposal. 

A copy of Fuss & O'Neill's plan is attached to this article. 


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