On February 5, the Town Council voted five-to-one to appropriate $245,000 for the purposes of constructing a parking lot and 90-foot baseball field on the Chick Property behind Narragansett School as outlined in Phase I of the property’s master plan.
According to former Town Councilor Michael Phinney, the master plan for the property “has been in place for many years, approved by the council and by the state DEP years ago. The master plan includes all forms of recreation including multiple athletic fields, skating areas, basketball courts, and parking.” The portion of the Chick Property currently being cleared is “intended to be a new full size baseball field.”
The property’s master plan was approved by the Town Council on June 6, 2000 and a feasibility study was first completed by DeLuca-Hoffman Associates in June 2001. In 2008, an updated Chick Property Master Plan was adopted by the Town Council. However, in 2016, funding to construct the baseball field at Chick Property was deferred for a field at Little Falls Recreation Area, where a greater need was determined.
The funds needed to expand the supply of community-wide recreation facilities has been and will continue to come from the Recreational Facilities and Open Space Impact Fee, determined in the Land Use and Development Code, applied to the construction of any new dwelling unit.
Photo credit Kim MeggisonA before and after view of the trails on the Chick property which is being cleared to make space for a new baseball field and associated parking.
Town Council Chair Ben Hartwell explained, “we have had two ongoing master plans dating back many years that were created to determine how to use the recreation impact fees. One was the Little Falls Recreation Area and the other is the Chick Property Master Plan. The intent is to chip away at the master plans as funds become available. Now that Little Falls is nearing completion, we are able to start focusing on the Chick Property.”
According to Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak, “the construction market is hopping now. The project may take up to a year with us completing sections as vendors, resources, and money becomes available.”
The project is supposed to have minimal impact to the trail system according to Town officials. “We are working with the Conservation Committee, USM, and Gorham High School to rebuild the trailhead. Additionally, the parking lot being built will accommodate not only the fields on Chick Property, but provide parking for residents looking to use the trail system and runners using the trails for cross country,” said Paraschak.
However, for Gorham resident Kim Meggison, the impact to the trail system has been anything but “minimal.” Meggison sees the construction as “unnecessarily disrupting habitats and ecosystems. There are other options on town properties that could have been explored for a baseball field. Great Falls School has a lot of flat, open space and ample parking. Ball fields are important. Open space and trail systems are important to maintain. But most important is for our town to move forward in a mindful, sustainable manner. Between the Chick Property de-forestation and the removal of the deed restriction on Robie Park, it is clear that the current Council supports building projects but not protection of green space.”
Additionally, Meggison believes the master plan is outdated. “Did anyone study the foot traffic that frequents the trail system each day, including the entry point? I have lived on neighboring Bouchard Drive for eight years and have used the trail system year-round. Throughout the year, I meet people walking dogs or simply enjoying the trails. You can find boot prints in the mud and paths made by skis and snowshoes. Did anyone actually tally the population this green space has served each day before destroying a portion of it?”
Theresa Connolly is concerned about potential safety issues “in the parking lot at Narragansett and the lack of sidewalks connecting the current parking areas.”
Town Manager Paraschak confirmed that the new project will include a continuation of the sidewalk along Chick Drive to Route 202. “I am not sure at what phase that will occur, but our goal is to have safe walkways along Chick Drive.”
This project has been a “goal of the town for a very long time and we want to create an area that is beneficial for everyone,” said Paraschak. However, some still believe this project is just another example of the town’s “uncontrolled growth.” For Meggison, that includes the Town Council considering how its “decisions and policies impact not only Gorham today, but Gorham for our grandchildren.”