Fort Fayette Memorial Park project deferred to fall after positive feedback; committee raised parking and grant prospects

The Recreation Department updated the Advisory Committee on a community park proposal for Fort Fayette Memorial Park that is currently a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) project and was deferred to the fall for further work.

Travis (Recreation) described the concept: reuse an underutilized tee‑ball field, add a small dog park, a roughly 2,000‑square‑foot splash pad and a perimeter walking path to make the site more accessible. He said the project drew overwhelmingly positive survey feedback (about 350 responses) but that parking is the principal remaining challenge.

Travis told the committee the town applied in January for a Land and Water Conservation Fund (a National Park Service grant) that could help fund the project; the Recreation Department plans community engagement sessions this spring and is exploring a parking study and programming revenue (rec fees, birthday bookings) to help cover operating costs. He estimated additional utility costs for a splash pad at about $4,000–$5,000 annually and emphasized modern splash pads use recycled and treated water and can be operated with time-limited push-button controls to limit water during bans.

Because the CPC deferred the item to the fall, the Recreation Department will return with more parking analysis and a refined funding plan before the project advances to a final vote.