By Gretchen Webster
WESTPORT — Town residents are being invited by the Parks and Recreation Commission to join the planning process to upgrade and update Longshore Club Park.
Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fava and Gary Sorge of Stantec — the firm hired to help guide the project — outlined the six-month planning process for the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan at Wednesday’s commission meeting.
Input sought from community, “stakeholders”
The plan includes surveying the community as well as collecting information from “stakeholder” organizations involved in the town’s main, multi-faceted recreation venue as planning moves forward.
“We want to have conversation back and forth with the public,” Fava said. “We want everybody’s feedback so we can figure out what’s the best way to meet as many needs as possible.”
Sorge said that his team from Stantec has visited the site many times, and held meetings with personnel at Longshore Inn, the golf course and with the golf pro, and met with the town’s parks superintendent, tennis and other racquet groups — and more.
Now the firm is preparing recommendations on several options to share in future public meetings.
“There will be plenty of points along the way so folks can see what’s progressing, and have an opportunity to comment on what’s progressing,” said Sorge, a vice president of Santec.
He anticipates the planning process will take six months, and be completed this fall with a final rollout of the capital improvement plan.
Long list of possible upgrades
Among the areas under consideration for upgrading, he said, are a pickleball venue, improvements to the golf clubhouse, pro shop and restrooms, as well as improvements to the golf course itself with an additional teaching area and practice range.
Also being considered are:
- two more tennis courts
- warming huts for tennis players
- additional dock space in the marina
- more shade at the pool complex, plus a new water feature
- replacing and relocating the playground
- more parking and signs throughout the park
“Maybe we can incorporate everything, but maybe we can’t,” Fava commented after the partial list of possible improvements was read.
Town officials, community groups consulted
Meetings with various town boards and commissions, including the Board of Selectwomen, will be held in March and April, said Sorge.
Those meetings will help clarify what improvements can be made, including not only those already under consideration, but additional ideas as well, said Fava. “New things may pop up along the way,” she said.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also creating a website linked to the town’s website where information about the plan, including meetings on the project, will be posted.
Invitations will go out soon to various organizations and town professional staff to share in the planning process, the parks and recreation director said. The first step will be coordinating meetings between various organizations and town boards.
“We’ll be reaching out” to the public soon, Fava added.
I would suggest that among those included in town/Stantec meetings would be Tom Lowrie to represent the pickleball community.
I’m wondering if you have reached out to the neighbors ?
All good idea’s, let’s make this the first class facility it should be.
Hallie: I am a direct abutter of the park and they have not reached out to us. Noise is a big issue particularly when it continues after 9pm. Live bands at events, music blasting at the ice rink, awards being giving with loud speakers.
A Splash Pad near the pool would be great . Better use of the patio bar. Perhaps a covered area with picnic tables to be reserved for family or friend events. A much improved and enlarged play struc;true.