By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT — The Parks Advisory Committee is taking first steps to work with a consultant creating a master plan for town parks, the first in more than three decades.

“I think this is a cool opportunity that this group has,” Michael West, the Parks and Recreation Department superintendent, said during Monday’s committee meeting. 

The department plans to involve “as many stakeholders as possible” in the process, including having members of the committee tour several parks and give their own feedback.

“It’s things like the dog park that has been suggested,” said Velma Heller, the committee chair. “This is where that would come into play.”

West said he is providing BL Companies, the consulting firm based in Meriden, with a long and “organized” stakeholder list, which includes members of the advisory committee. Another stakeholder example would be athletic groups that use the parks.

The public will have the opportunity to comment during town meetings, as well as online through a link that will be posted on the Parks and Recreation website.

Heller added that BL consultants may have suggestions of their own. “Things that have been done in other places may be of interest to us,” she said.

West showed the group a list of 29 park properties in town along with a breakdown by their district and number of acres. He suggested that committee members start touring those that have the greatest impact on the community, which are not already the focus of an improvement plan, such as Longshore Club Park.

The parks that the committee will start touring are: Grace K. Salmon, a 3.8-acre park on Imperial Avenue; Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum, 12 acres on Woodside Lane; Winslow Park, 29.5 acres on Compo Road North and Post Road East; Machamux Park, 1.5 acres on Greens Farms Road and Morningside Drive; Luciano Park, 0.1 acre on Park Street, and Veterans Green and Town Hall, both on Myrtle Avenue. 

Members plan to provide feedback on these visits during their February meeting.

Two members of the public attending Monday’s meeting wanted to talk about a park not on the committee’s short list. 

Jay Walshon and Phil Levieff told members that they gave input on a detailed plan that has already been completed for Baron’s South, a 22.6-acre open space parcel on Compo Road South and Post Road East, which once was the estate of perfume magnate Walter Langer von Langendorff, a former Austrian baron.

“That plan is on a shelf gathering dust,” Walshon said.  The plan was paid for by residents several years ago and cost upwards of $5,000, he said. “We need to resurrect it, so it doesn’t get lost.” 

West said that a copy of the plan for Baron’s South will be provided to BL, along with other town resources. “They need to have that background to see what has been done,” he said.

Levieff also brought up that Westport Community Gardens, located on the Long Lots Elementary School for two decades, may be moved to Baron’s South because of plans to build a new school. That could have ramifications for other potential uses of the property, he said. “I have spent a lot of time there over the past year,” he said, adding that he would like to participate in the planning process.

At present, town officials are also considering a plan to convert the five buildings on Baron’s South into affordable housing units.

Kerri Williams is a freelance writer who has worked in journalism for years, including as a reporter for the Norwalk Hour and managing editor of the Norwalk Citizen-News.