Newburyport Open Space and Recreation Plan Update 2020: Public survey and virtual public meeting
Posted on: April 10, 2020 - 3:07pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Geordie Vining, Senior Project Manager, gvining@cityofnewburyport.com
Newburyport Open Space and Recreation Plan Update 2020:
Public survey and virtual public meeting
Newburyport – The City of Newburyport has begun the process of updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) which was last done in 2012. The City is inviting members of the public to participate in an online survey regarding their favorite parks and open spaces, concerns about Newburyport’s recreational and natural open space areas, and any other related thoughts. This easy survey takes only five minutes to complete, and the link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NewburyportOSRP. In addition, the City is inviting members of the public to a virtual public meeting about the OSRP as part of the Parks Commission’s agenda on Thursday April 16th. The “Zoom” invitation is listed below.
Open Space and Recreation Plans are valid for seven years, and a current comprehensive OSRP is necessary for the City to be eligible for state grant funding for open space preservation and park improvement projects. The grant programs include Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC), Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND), and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which are administered by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Division of Conservation Services. The plan also serves as a significant guidance document for the City’s Open Space Committee, Parks Commission, Community Preservation Committee, and other City Boards and Departments.
Since developing the current OSRP in 2012, the City has achieved a number of goals including establishing a professional Parks Department with a full-time Parks Director and Parks Manager plus additional seasonal staff. Also since 2012, in partnership with the state, the City constructed Phase II of the Clipper City Rail Trail and protected 10 acres of open space parks/conservation land adjacent to Maudslay State Park and Curzon Mill Road. In addition, the City renovated the High School Stadium playing field. The current 2012 OSRP may be viewed and downloaded from the City’s website at the following link:
Supported by a CPA grant from the Community Preservation Committee and the City Council, the City has contracted with BETA Group, Inc. to develop the OSRP 2020 Update. The plan needs to be completed by June 30, 2020 in order to be eligible for state grant funding this year. The City encourages everyone interested to provide public input to the Open Space and Recreation Plan by answering the quick online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NewburyportOSRP
The City link for the upcoming virtual public meeting on Thursday April 16 is as follows (please remember that the Parks Commission has additional business to attend to prior to focusing on the OSRP):
Topic: Parks Commission
Time: Apr 16, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/220240275
Meeting ID: 220 240 275
Or call: 1-301-715-8592
Time: Apr 16, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/220240275
Meeting ID: 220 240 275
Or call: 1-301-715-8592
For more information, contact Geordie Vining, Senior Project Manager in Newburyport’s Planning Office, at gvining@cityofnewburyport.com. (Please note that phone calls are not available due to City Hall’s closure and staff working remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.)