Memorial Park Redesign

A number of town councils over many years have asked for public input on a Master Plan for Memorial Park.
In each plan, Rose Avenue remained a dead end/closed at Franklin.
This drawing indicates that it will be open.
Is this an error/oversight on the part of the artist?

Zone 10 should have an out-door hockey rink (winter) and a floor hockey pad (summer)

1. Top of the map does not show the land and trees on the north side of Latcham Hall. This is part of the park and I would like to know why it is not included in the plans?
2. I like the roundabout idea for Park Drive South and Booth Dr. Contrary to most postings numerous studies in Europe and several in North America show that roundabouts are safer for both traffic and pedestrians. It will also slow down traffic. You should consider putting meridian in the centre lane of Park Dr just south of Main street and not allow parking in fron of the dental center.
3. Glad to see you’re not pushing a parking lot onto the bowling green any more, would rather the bowling green and building stays where it is but if you do move the bowling green to make room for more green space then I recommend you save the clubhouse for a concession stand. It is a unique and old building.
4. The skating pad idea seems very expensive for the little time it would get used but the pathway-bridge near the change room building in the diagram should be built even if you do not make the ice pad simply to make a better flow of traffic into the multi use are from the south west part of the park.
5. The future pool should be an indoor outdoor pool even if that means only skylights or full size patio walkout doors along the west wall. At the open house the leisure center director said this has safety concerns but there is safety equipment and protocols that nullify these concerns available. Time to tell the lawyers and insurance companies to stop fear mongering over remote possibilities.
6. Pickle ball courts are a complete waste of money. Contrary to some opinions Pickle Ball is not that popular. One look at the space in Sports Chek dedicated to Pickle ball equipment and you can see it’s not a big thing. (half a single rack compared to over a dozen full racks for tennis and other racket sports. Besides Pickle Ball is very noisy and most clubs rent year around space in buildings to enable year around use.
7. It would be nice to actually plants trees and flowers in the meridian spaces that were originally created for that purpose instead of being paved over or removed like the garden spaces on the Hoover Park Bridge. Works department obviously finds them too expensive to maintain so perhaps you could plant natural local native species here.
8. Fix the toboggan hill. Period!
9. Close Burkholder between Franklin and Park Dr. Open up the south end directly onto Park Dr. South. Rose Street should be opened to Franklin.
10. Clean up the original Park entrance at the bottom of Church St. and make a proper memorial to the troops who these monuments are dedicated too.
11. Do not create a walking trail by the river or plant gardens where the toboggan hill is, they will never be maintained. If you create a walking trail here leave as much of the woods and grasses alone the same way as the other trails in town. Connected the trail at the south end to the existing trail (under the bridge maybe).

1. Introduce different materials for park drive (unit pavers or decorative concrete) to introduce a change in texture to drivers if the intent is to use the road as a multifunctional feature.

2. Only low lying landscape (short shrubs) located within the turning circles/roundabouts should be planted to ensure proper vehicle sight lines.

3. Gathering lawn should introduce more shade/wind structures and/or shade trees.

4. Introduce more landscape in the parking lot of the Jr baseball diamond

5. Add a pedestrian connection from park drive to the Jr baseball diamond

6. How will pedestrian connections crossing Park Drive be programmed? Cross walks? Pavers? Signalized?

Looks like a great plan for the towns Center . Additional access to Franklin from Rose is great for residents in the area. Access to park drive by passing the drop off at community center is great. Once approved what is next steps ?

I am also against a roundabout. The 4 way stop ensures that cars slow down. The roundabout will make that intersection a nightmare and unsafe for all the pedestrian traffic.

I'd like to add a few points:
a) I am not sure why ParK Drive was extended several years ago to connect from Booth to Hoover Park. That change broke up a perfectly incredible open space that could have even better served the community as the community size increased. Specifically, another baseball diamond could have been easily added, a tobogganing hill could have been created on the south east side not to mention space for picnicking, etc. It's a bit disappointing that we haven't learned the lesson from other cities/towns of the importance of having sizable green space in the core area. Is it possible to close Park Dr to traffic from Booth to Hoover Park?

b) I am against adding a round-about at Booth and Park drive as the pedestrian traffic is going to be high. Take a look at the roundabouts at other locations and measure the speed at which cars are proceeding through these roundabouts. The 4-way stop signs at Booth/Park work just fine.

Really wish we had an outside pool. Splashpads are always sooo cold.

Put the toboggan hill back. Taking that away form the kids was the meanest thing you have done...

It would be great to have a refrigerated ice rink for hockey in addition to a refrigerated skating path. Refrigeration would ensure the longest possible use throughout the season.

Wonderful idea to have a town trail along the creek east of the Library.