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