A proposed central park, more community gardens and a further integrated park and trail system are some of the highlights of the five-year comprehensive plan Fitchburg's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department unveiled Tuesday night at its open house.
The department has to update the plan every five years to remain eligible for funding from various sources including the state Department of Natural Resources director Scott Endl explained.
Endl delivered a 20-minute presentation of the plan to the crowd of about 20 people.
"This is really the Parks Department's planning document," he explained. "It helps the Park Commission make educated decisions on where they want parks."
The central park idea was the vision of city planner Tom Hovel and former director Jim Christoph, Endl said. In January the Common Council approved the acquisition of land to create the park. Moraine Edge Park is part of the North McGaw Park, which is a developing area.
Endl said during the McGaw Park and Northeast Neighborhood planning, the committees in charge of the planning have considered the natural resources in the areas when they put together the land use plans.
Other parts of the plan include keeping community gardens in the city and adding more as demand increases, integrating the parks system with the recreational trails, and exploring methods of visual separation of the city by keeping open space on its outer limits.
Fitchburg owns 740 acres of park land, with 318 acres making up active parks. McGaw Park and McKee Farms Park are the city's largest parks.
The city's comprehensive plan will have a public hearing Dec. 3. Endl said it should be adopted in early 2010.
