Rochester’s Select Board Monday learned the details of a proposal to turn the plan for a new playground at Gifford Park into a larger renovation that expands space for travel lanes, pedestrians, and parking at the ball field.

            The 3,649 square-foot playground will be placed in the park’s northeast corner. Displaying a concept sketch of his ideas for the western border, resident Nate Reece said Monday that the car lane along the area of the ball field is a single path ending in a choke hold at Mary’s Pond Road. With land from abutting Wildlands Trust property, he suggested that lane could be expanded by 30 feet for safer passage of cars and pedestrians and expanded parking.

            This renovation would add handicapped accessible parking for the entrance to nearby Wildlands Trust trails, he said. He noted he has already had conversations with the Wildlands Trust, which agrees a deed transfer or land swap could make this plan happen. That cooperative effort would be the next step of this plan, he said.

            He explained this renovation would improve safety and accessibility for park and trail users. The widened access road would allow for two-way traffic flow and better distance between baseball game spectators and moving vehicles (current access is single lane, in close proximity to bleachers). There would be 50 additional parking spaces, which would remove the need for cars to park along the road, as they do now during the busy baseball season.

            He said he has spoken to Dave Hughes of the Park Commission, and that board would be willing to take the design plan ‘under advisement’. This, Reece said, “is what my goal was from the start, to provide something for the town, Park Commission, Wildlands Trust, and residents to use as they see fit. The focus of the plan is on what could change beyond the current scope of changes at Gifford Park, primarily collaborating with the abutters, the Wildlands Trust.”

            Town Administrator Cameron Durant agreed to start that initial conversation with the trust. Select Board Member Adam Murphy praised Reece for the approach he was taking of consulting the interested parties on his own. “The transparency and buy-in present here is huge,” he said.

            In other action, Durant reported an update on the review of the FY2026 budget. Though the budget planning is still in process, at present, he said, the town is seeing a $740,000 deficit. Current plans to reduce this deficit include removing full-time from the Finance Director’s position, reducing hours for the new town planner, and removing a full-timer’s weekend coverage of the fire department.

            Durant reported the State Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance’s request to area towns for 8,000-13,000 square feet of warehouse space. He said interested parties in town should answer the invitation to bid.

            Durant announced the SEMASS Pilot payment for February 2025 of $380,000.

            The board approved the Buzzards Bay Coalition 19th Annual Watershed Ride’s route through town on October 5, 2025.

            The board signed a new three-year contract with Building Commissioner Paul Boucher.

            The board approved Memorial Day Parade road closures. The roads will be closed at Dexter Lane, Town Hall, and Mary’s Pond Road, and Gifford Park. The parade will be on May 25 from 11:30 am and go until 1:00 pm.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, March 31 at 6:00 pm at 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

A brief meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission on March 6 revealed a rough-timeline for the construction of the Point Road path that will install a walking and bicycling path in that part of town.

            Commission Chair John Rockwell reported in the Zoom-cast meeting that the $48,689 contract for the work has been signed, and construction likely will start soon. He said that if the contractor has not started by the time of the panel’s next meeting, he will seek more input from that contractor and report what that start date will be, and he will do so in a “broadcast email” to all members.

            He and Marion Conservation Commission member Shaun Watson estimated, however, that substantial work likely will be completed by Memorial Day. Watson asked, if the contractor starts in a couple of weeks, what is the estimated end date? Rockwell responded by noting that part of the contract is installing two 2700-foot-long grass strips. Watson answered that the key will be that the contractor will not want to start sooner than he would be able to get the grass established. “I would assume the grass would be the last thing he would do,” Watson said.

            Rockwell agreed when Watson added, “If he starts within the next several weeks, you’re probably looking at substantial completion by Memorial Day.”

            Before the commission moved on from that agenda item, Kerri Reynolds of 65 Joann Drive expressed her concerns over the fact the contract describes the project as merely a walking path. She said she wanted to make sure the road surface would be hard enough for bicycling and baby strollers. Rockwell assured her that, in fact, the path will have a hard gravel surface. “We have specified a very robust compactor to go over the material once it’s been added,” Rockwell said. “It’s important to us that everybody can use it. I like to call it a ‘bike hike’.”

            The commission ended its agenda with a presentation regarding a project being planned by Bridgewater State University researchers at Grassy Bog. Bridgewater State graduate student Anatash Sayor informed the board that Grassy Bog is one of 10 abandoned or restored cranberry bogs across Southeastern Massachusetts being studied to see “how healthy” they are in terms of the stream’s ecosystems, its animal species and plant life.

            The commission did not set its next meeting before adjourning.

Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco