Adams Open Space Plan Nears Completion Following Community Input
The final forum was held at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.
After reviewing the 2019 plan, collecting feedback from a survey of 291 residents, holding three rounds of forums, and making multiple revisions, the OSRP committee narrowed this iteration of the plan to four main goals.
The plan acts as a "roadmap" for the town with goals and action items that preserve and improve lands and recreation assets, documents community priorities, and positions Adams for state grant eligibility, said Seth Jenkins, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission senior community planner at the third and final meeting on Earth Day last month at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.
The document also serves as an example for community members to show that they are always trying to make the town a better place and they are hearing them out.
The document also serves as a way to show residents that officials are continually working to make the town a better place and are actively listening to community feedback, said Matt Burdick, OSRP member, Conservation Commissioner, and state Department of Conservation and Recreation employee.
"Everyone in Adams had a chance to fill out the survey, they could have come up here. They could all put their feedback in. It's not just like one group gets to choose what happens for everyone. We listen to everybody's input. That's a big community thing," he said.
The goals presented were:
- develop and maintain multi-use and multi-generational recreational opportunities,
- protect, manage, and promote natural attractions and conservation areas,
- protect, promote, and manage historic, agricultural, and cultural resources,
- explore, encourage, and enhance connectivity and communication within the town and to neighboring communities.
The document will be available on the town website once approved by the state and will go before the Select Board for endorsement.
Across outreach initiatives, community members expressed priorities about maintenance, safety, and accessibility, officials said.
"I think there's an enthusiasm for outdoor recreation in the town," said Jenkins.
Results also indicated Greylock Glen, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, and Mount Greylock as residents' top outdoor sites with hiking, walking, and bicycling as the most common activities.
There are a lot of activities that used to exist but don't, such as access to swimming holes and public places to swim, Burdick said.
"That was something that I was glad to see incorporated and included by other people," he said.
It was expressed that residents use unofficial outdoor spots for recreational activities such as swimming at Bellevue Cemetery.
Sometimes residents emphasized the need for small things such as trash cans, trail maintenance, and bathrooms being open, one member said.
An item that stood out during the third community forum was the beautification of Adams — specifically in the south end of Adams near Commercial Street, said Meg Bantle, owner of Full Well Farm.
This section of town has been spotted as an area of concern by town officials and has been designated as blighted.
"I think the town has really already got some plans for redevelopment on some of those sites," Jenkins said.
Adams is seeking Community Development Block Grant funds for a project to reconstruct Winter Street. It will include new paving, sidewalks and drainage.
"I stood by the map for a little bit, and people were really talking about the beautification of Adams and the impression you get when you drive into Adams," Bantle said.
"So there's a decent amount of responses near [that area] where people feel like there could be more working to eliminate dead space."
Addressing the blight is outside the scope of the Open Space and Recreation Plan. However, discussions about the blighted area do bring other areas of consideration such as examining redevelopment sites that could potentially be spots for infill, Jenkins said.
"There are buildings that sometimes get demolished and taken down, and don't necessarily need to be new buildings that could become open space.," said Greylock Glen Executive Director Daniel Doyle.
There are buildings that have been discussed when seeking to preserve historical buildings, which is really important to capture. However, there may be a lot of property that could go back to open space since the town's population has declined since development, Doyle said.
Each goal includes several objectives that outline the steps needed to achieve it. These objectives include:
Goal 1: Develop and maintain multi-use and multi-generational recreational opportunities.
- Objective 1.1 - Maintain, renovate, and adapt existing parks, facilities, fields, and recreational areas to serve multiple purposes.
- Objective 1.2 - Explore and expand programs and partnerships at the Greylock Glen to offer a diversity of recreational options to residents and visitors year-round.
- Objective 1.3 - Improve the aesthetic and functionality of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and adjacent downtown Adams amenities.
- Objective 1.4 - Enhance passive recreation opportunities a s well a s consider new recreational activities and facilities within Adams to improve the quality of life for present and future town residents.
Goal 2: Protect, manage, and promote natural attractions and conservation areas,
- Objective 2.1 - Continue to advertise and steward the Greylock Glen as a unique, scenic asset and environmental landmark.
- Objective 2.2 - Promote and maintain the natural assets along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
- Objective 2.3 - Ensure access to and stewardship of all public or publicly available open space for all demographic groups and to enhance the experience of both residents and visitors.
- Objective 2.4 - Expand and protect open space resources within the Town from inappropriate development by embracing wise stewardship practices.
Goal 3: Protect, promote, and manage historic, agricultural, and cultural resources
- Objective 3.1 - Preserve the Town's historic character and encourage development that promotes the historic small-town identity of Adams.
- Objective 3.2 - Continue to maintain the Town's important historic resources and cultural landscapes.
Goal 4: Explore, encourage, and enhance connectivity and communication within the town and to neighboring communities.
- Objective 4.1 - Expand and connect existing protected lands and trails to make a continuous greenway network of interconnected trails and pedestrian pathways throughout Adams and into neighboring communities.
- Objective 4.2 - Develop a comprehensive Bike Plan for Adams that uses the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail as a spine to connect Town neighborhoods, schools, parks, fields, and other recreational sites.
- Objective 4.3 - Connect neighborhoods and different features of Adams as well as Adams to other communities.
- Objective 4.5 [sic] - Improve communication to town residents about recreational and outdoor events, programs, activities, and opportunities using the town website (sports leagues, camps, youth events, programs, etc.
Tags: open space,
