FREMONT – Another proposal to revitalize Birchard Park will be up for public review, this time at the park itself.
“We’re definitely committed to the trees,” Fremont Economic Development Director Bob Gross said. “We will be soliciting for feedback, likes and dislikes, but we truly don’t have a plan at this point. We want to know what people want so we can know what we can budget and we can know what that’s going to cost. The end game here is to have real-life cost estimates, real-life renderings, to be able to apply for grants.”
Gross expects to have a multi-year plan, with phases determined by grants and donations received.
“We’re really trying not to overburden local budgets,” he said.
The city will hold a public meeting on July 29 in Birchard Park at the shelter house on the Washington Street side at 6 p.m.
Birchard Park was dedicated October 19, 1871, with land donated to the City of Fremont by Sardis Birchard. It includes a basketball court, tennis court, shelter houses, shuffleboard courts and a walking path. A bandstand in the park is home to the Fremont Concert in the Park series each summer.
Gross said the project is still in the development phase as officials find out what the public really wants. He stressed that it is so early that there isn’t a proposed budget, but any changes would be funded primarily by grants and donations.
A first round of plans, developed by Thomas Porter Architects, was released by the city at a public open house on March 20.
The city has several infrastructure problems at the park to solve, but Gross said they are “pretty basic” and can be addressed in many different ways.
“There are real costs associated with some of these issues,” Gross said.
At the top of the list is parking and drainage. Only street parking is available and the park can flood.
“It holds water after heavy rains,” Gross said. “We’re talking to an arborist about trees that might work better than drains, but if it’s soft and mushy, it might need drains.”
When people use the shelter house and park on the grass, they can get stuck if the ground is soft, then tear up the grass and leave it to city maintenance workers to fix ruts and damage.
Since the March open house, about a dozen local residents have taken part in smaller meetings. Not everyone is happy with some of the suggestions. Some are circulating petitions and flyers opposing the changes.
Members of the Birchard Historic Neighborhood Association are questioning a proposed parking lot and choices in tree removal. They say that one of the architect’s proposals indicates as many as 60 trees could be removed and a 24-car asphalt parking lot could be included.
Gross has said that any parking lot or paved trail would likely focus on handicap spots and easy access to the shelter house, resulting in shorter walks for people who use the facility.
“We truly want to hear from people,” Gross said.
rlapointe@gannett.com
419-332-2674
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Public can give feedback on future of Birchard Park plans at July 29 meeting
Reporting by Roger LaPointe, Fremont News-Messenger / Fremont News-Messenger
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