Williamstown Making Progress on Recreation Initiatives
Signage at Williamstown's new fitness pad includes a QR code to get more information on using the equipment.
On Monday, Town Manager Robert Menicocci told the Select Board that a new "fitness pad" is ready to go on Stetson Road, next to where a new skate park was permitted on Thursday.
Meanwhile, at Williamstown Elementary School, two new fully accessible playgrounds are nearing completion with hopes that they will be open in time for the start of school on Sept. 2.
That week also is targeted by Menicocci for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the fitness pad, which features equipment designed to give users a variety of different exercises targeting all muscle groups.
The pad was funded in part by a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross of Massachusetts as well as Community Preservation Act funds approved by town meeting in May 2024.
Although the equipment was all in place and usable, at Monday's meeting, Menicocci said the Department of Public Works was putting on some "finishing touches."
"We're looking to have a community related event to get folks out there to see what it's about," Menicocci said.
"To start orienting people to its existence but also how to use it. We're looking to make this a fun, community event.
"The company that makes the equipment has kickoff recommendations and ambassadors to train people in how to use it. Sometimes, there are competitions between different town entities. It could be the college versus other entities."
The second big project that is nearing completion is at WES, where the district is replacing playgrounds for the primary grades (at the north end of the campus) and the upper grades (near the Williamstown Youth Center).
"Both playgrounds are on track to be ready for the first day of school, but the timeline is tight and weather-dependent," Mount Greylock Regional School District interim Superintendent Joe Bergeron said.
"So we're keeping our fingers crossed and also prepared for the grand opening slipping a little."
As noted at the time, the district asked the town for help with funding the new playgrounds, they are open to the public outside of school hours and among the most used amenities in town.
The playgrounds were funded without local taxpayer dollars, utilizing American Rescue Plan Act funds from Williamstown and proceeds from a Williams College gift to WES at the time of its construction in 2002.
Meanwhile, a combination of CPA funds and private fund-raising are kick-starting a replacement for the town's out-of-date and worn down skate park just west of the fitness pad.
In May, town meeting approved a $32,000 grant to support the project, which has a projected cost of $750,000.
The skate park initiative got some good news this week.
After months of waiting on word back from a state agency that needed to weigh in on the plan, the town's Conservation Commission issued an order of conditions that will allow the park to be built when financing is complete.
The standard order of conditions comes with a three-year construction window for applicants.
"When all of this is built out, it's going to be a big asset to the community. Particularly since it's on the bike path,"Community Development Director Andrew Groff told the Con Comm on Thursday.
It was just two summers ago that the town opened the Mohican Trail, a multi-use path that planners hope will one day be linked to a larger regional trail through the city of North Adams.
Speaking of trails, the same non-profit looking to rebuild the skate park has opened the second phase of a mountain bike trail network it is building along Berlin Road, west of town.
Purple Valley Trails, under the auspices of the New England Mountain Bike Association, received a Community Preservation Act grant of $16,000 toward a $125,000 project at May's annual town meeting.
Closer to the town's core, Menicocci has two other town recreation initiatives moving forward.
Sometime in the next month or so, he hopes to have a facilitator in place to lead a community conversation on how to renovate Broad Brook Park in the White Oaks neighborhood.
"We'll be getting some focus groups on that and, hopefully, getting a design in place relatively quickly," Menicocci said.
Two of the town's other parks also have changes on tap.
"The DPW is looking at quotes for the tennis courts at Linear Park, to get those rehabbed and, possibly, striped so they could be multi-use, tennis and pickleball," Menicocci said. "We've got a price tag on that. We'll look to do a little bit of fund-raising.
"Similarly, we're in the midst of getting our unleashed dog recreation area [at the Spruces Park] under way. We're in the process of putting up some gates and signage. Once that's done, we'll work on an information campaign to let folks know about the area and the rules and get the multi-use path [which ends in the Spruces Park] into compliance with where I think the Select Board was thinking: get dogs on leash where they need to be on leash."
Tags: outdoor recreation, public parks, recreation,
