Parker's River Landing opens in Yarmouth with elevated boardwalk and flood safeguards

PARKER'S RIVER LANDING, Yarmouth — The Town of Yarmouth formally opened Parker's River Landing on Saturday, unveiling a 22‑acre waterfront park anchored by a 1,300‑foot elevated boardwalk, playground, kayak launch and a veterans' dedication area.

"Today, we aren't just opening the park, we are celebrating a transformation that has been decades in the making," the event emcee said, welcoming residents to what organizers described as a balance of recreation, preservation and coastal resiliency. Town planner Kathy Williams credited the Drive and Site Utilization Committee and years of community engagement for shaping the site's design and direction.

Kathy Williams, the town planner, said the park was acquired decades ago to prevent condominium development and that the select board's 2015 appointment of the DISOC (Drive and Site Utilization Committee) led to the current plan. "We wanted to create a premier location and gathering place," she said, outlining objectives to revitalize Route 28, improve tourism and provide public access to Parker's River and marshlands.

Design team members and project consultants described the park's flood‑resilient construction. A presenter from the design team said engineers regraded the site to form berms, elevated parking and event spaces, imported fill where needed and used small‑diameter steel piles for the boardwalk to minimize disturbance to marsh soils. The restroom building was set above base flood elevation and includes removable flood‑stop logs, and on‑site measures such as infiltration chambers and revegetation were used to manage stormwater and restore habitat.

Speakers credited a mix of funding: local community preservation funds, awards from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, MassDOT support for themed bike racks, and state and federal grants. Officials cited a $1,400,000 award from the Seaport Economic Council among the project’s major grants. Construction work was acknowledged by name, including a marine contractor cited in remarks.

Organizers emphasized that much of the funding and planning came from volunteer and town staff efforts, and invited visitors to visit the new coastal resiliency fair, use the park amenities and support on‑site interpretive signage and programs. Town Administrator Rob Whitnow closed the ceremony by inviting the select board and staff to perform the ribbon cutting and encouraging residents to use the park "for many, many years to come."