The
project kick-off meeting was held on April
3, 2003 and was attended by over 20 community members. Parks staff presented
the site analysis, early concept plans and a variety of program elements
for community feedback.
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Meeting #1 Summary Notes
At the
second meeting, held on May 15, 2003, Parks staff presented
Refined Concept Alternatives based on feedback from the first community
meeting.
Key issues include: vehicular access on to the site, noise modification
through landscape design, inclusion of organic components in the design
layout, and overall design fit within the neighborhood and contextual
uses.
Staff outlined the project budget and phasing ideas and sought consensus
on one site plan for further refinement and presentation at the third
public meeting.
At the
third meeting held on July 1, 2003, Parks staff presented
a Recommended Final Design Plan based on feedback from the first and second
community meetings.
Proposed project elements include:
Pedestrian and vehicular accessibility to the project and adjacent
sites,
Flexible site design with landscaping, creation of an open space,
plaza and community gardens,
Active recreation opportunities with climbing wall and possible skateboard
park pending future funding, and
Site integration with the surrounding neighborhood including removal
of existing fencing and portions of the retaining wall.
Key issues from the third meeting include: design fit of the site plan
within the contextual history of the neighborhood, concerns over potential
noise levels with the proposed skateboard park, and pedestrian and ADA
access onto and through the site.
On April 24, 2004 a
Project Open House was held. The objective
of the Open House was to present the final design elements and plan for
the Colman School Parking Lot project to the Community. The design elements
and plan were developed with input from community members who participated
in the three previous public meetings. All previous meeting attendees
were invited to attend. A copy of the final design plan is posted on this
site. A number of elements of the earlier design have been dropped in
this final revision due to a lack of funds and/or community support.
The final design elements presented in the plan include the following:
Pedestrian Access
• Across S. Massachusetts St.
• Strong connections to Sam Smith Park and surrounding sites
• ADA accessibility throughout most of the site
• Creation of multiple neighborhood entrances with clear sight lines
Landscape Improvements
• Integration of site with Sam Smith Park through a gently sloping lawn
• Demolition of a portion of the existing retaining walls
• Open space that is organic in design and flexible in use
• Terraced community gardens
Vehicular Access/Parking
• Vehicular accessibility off of S. Massachusetts St
• Parking lot reconfiguration and vehicular circulation
• Parking capacity for Parks scheduled soccer games
In developing this project, Parks has coordinated and integrated the design
elements and plan with the Urban League’s redevelopment project at Old
Colman School to ensure a successful blending of projects. Parks is also
coordinating with State and City agencies on access and use issues.
These design elements and plan are now being transformed into formal construction
plans with specifications that will allow Parks to proceed to the construction
phase of this project.
The schedule listed below is our current project schedule.
• Planning - 2003-2004
• Design - 2004-2005
• Construction - Early Spring 2005
• Completion - Late Fall 2005
