DEERFIELD — The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, Jan. 3, regarding the proposed North Main Street park as the town prepares to move forward with the project.
The meeting will allow public comment on design plans for the 7.1-acre park, which is in close proximity to Frontier Regional School and will feature two multi-purpose athletic fields, walking paths and picnic areas, along with future additions such as a band shell, pavilion and concession stand. Planning Board Chairwoman Analee Wulfkuhle encouraged the public to come to the meeting and learn about the complexities of the project.
“The park project is really going to be a big first step in reinventing Deerfield’s town center,” Wulfkuhle said. “It’s a very big project and has a lot of important details that I hope the public will come and participate in.”
Wulfkuhle expects Monday’s meeting to introduce the project to the public, and the public hearing will probably continue throughout the course of several meetings as there is so much information.
“There’s too much to address,” she said. “(This meeting will) introduce all the pieces of it, then continue the hearing to the next meeting and probably get into the nitty gritty details.”
According to the project narrative, the park will be built in phases, with the first focusing on walking paths, multi-purpose fields, picnic areas and planted vegetation. Future phases may include field lighting and an outdoor basketball court. The park is planned to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and will hold athletic games and practices for the Recreation Department as well as outdoor concerts when the band shell is constructed.
The town has been pursuing the project for several years, and the approval of a lower minimum frontage requirement at October’s special Town Meeting cleared the way for the town to move forward with the park in its current design.
The North Main Street park is the first of several projects proposed by town officials in a push to revitalize the South Deerfield village over the next several years. Residents approved a $1.2 million appropriation at June 2020’s annual Town Meeting for the acquisition of the parcel and construction of recreational fields, foot and bicycle paths, and parking. In October of that year, special Town Meeting voters approved using an additional $1 million in Community Preservation Act funds to support the project.
Wulfkuhle noted these appropriations will cover the construction of the park, but future funding may be needed for maintenance to keep the park in peak condition.
“For me, the takeaway is, I want people to continue to be involved and recognize that they will have to help advocate for good maintenance for the park,” Wulfkuhle said.
Monday’s meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in a hybrid format at Deerfield Town Hall, 8 Conway St., or on Zoom at bit.ly/3Hm1jCl. Documents, including the project narrative, can be found at bit.ly/32u8tWF.