2023-2024 Recreation Needs Assessment Project

At the January 31st Selectboard meeting it was decided to pause any new recreational capital initiatives while the Recreation Committee work towards the following efforts:

  1. Identify and understand the goals/vision for the community’s future recreational needs by defining the 5W+H (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?);
  2. Observe and assess a complete inventory of current locations, their conditions including safety, age, types of usage, when are they used and by whom, etc.;
  3. Illuminate contradictions, barriers, disconnects and opportunities - the internal and external gaps being experienced between the current state and the desired state;
  4. Aligning goals/vision with necessary actions – mapping the journey of what and how to accomplish closing those gaps; and
  5. Prioritize strategies of activities, tasks and objectives for optimum solutions.

This effort of designing of a “Recreational Playbook” will provide the necessary framework with guiding recommendations as to where time, energy and capital resources should be concentrated in order to meet the community’s recreational future needs.

Three predominant areas were identified in the introductory SWOT analysis conducted at the March 15, 2023 Recreation Committee meeting:

Rec Working Group

The Committee delegated members into 3 working sub-groups to work with town staff, examine assigned areas and accomplish the following tasks:

  1. Observe current conditions;
  2. Illuminate the gaps between current and desired state; and,
  3. Map recommendations on how to close those gaps.

As the assessment and reporting were intended to provide the Recreation Department, Town Administrator and Select Board guidance, specifically in concert with the upcoming FY25 Annual Capital/CPC Budget Schedule, the Recreation Committee prioritized identifying recommendations within the “Facilities” area of focus that were presented before the Select Board at their January 23, 2024 meeting.

While the Committee continues prioritizing upgrades/repair requests through Capital and CPC funding sources for future fiscal years, creating a 5-year capital plan to guide the Town Administrator and staff, along with finalizing their assessments in the other two core areas: staffing and communications the Recreation Committee received an unanimous vote in favor by the Select Board to proceed towards FY25 Capital and CPC funding with the following two actions/projects:

Feasibility Study for Clark Field, Pocasset Recreation Area, Keith Field and Chester Park

  • Apply for FY25 CPC funding for comprehensive Feasibility Study of all four Recreational Areas to determine best multi-generational use spatially aimed at supporting an evolving recreational environment for the community’s next 20+ years.
  • Study will include robust Public Participation Plan to ensure community voice is reflective, including surveys with qualitative and quantitative analysis.
  • ADA accessibility and Parking plan also must be included to support full use of each area.
  • Feasibility Study will include plan for ongoing maintenance including passive items such as fencing, signage, etc.

  • Estimated cost for study: $150,000

Community Building Skate Park & Softball Field Redesign

  • Apply for FY25 CPC funding to completely reconstruct/upgrade Skate Park with an all-wheel design.
  • This reimagining of the skate/all-wheel park will encroach/impact the softball field,
  • Therefore Softball field will need to be repurposed.
  • Estimated Cost for redesign and construction: $500,000

Related Documents and Material