By Anne Levin

Four possible concept plans for improvements to Community Park South, the area bordered by Route 206 and Birch Avenue, were presented at a public engagement meeting last Thursday, June 8, at the municipal building.

The meeting was the second public event to be held on the master plan for the park. Citizen feedback about the design proposals is encouraged, through a survey, in English and Spanish, available through June 19 at 9 a.m. on the website princeton.civilspace.io/en/projects/community-park-south-master-plan.

Originally, three options were planned for the park. But a fourth was added after consultants gathered input from the public, a steering committee, and municipal staff over the last few months. A survey that was posted following the first public engagement meeting in March received more than 450 responses, according to representatives of Suburban Consulting Engineers (SCE).

Some of the things people wanted to see improved were the walking path, the multi-purpose athletic field, tennis courts, picnic pavilion, and platform tennis. New features requested included rest rooms, benches, sports lighting, and outdoor fitness facilities.

“The challenge was to take all of the feedback and collaborate with [departments of] recreation and engineering,” said SCE’s Joseph Perello. “The good news is that, out of all four plans, all the main items asked for can fit on the site. We can accommodate all the items that were requested, and the appropriate spaces behind them.”

Each of the proposals includes the perimeter walking path, open space, athletic fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, a hitting wall, platform tennis, rest room buildings, additional picnic areas, a family zone (playground), fenced dog parks, and an exercise area. All have accessibility and detailed landscape plans with native plant materials, and green infrastructure such as rain gardens or water infiltration.

The first option retains a lot of what already exists at the site. The perimeter path would be widened, and the parking lot would remain where it is. The existing, fenced dog parks would be slightly smaller “but still accommodate a number of dogs,” Perello said.

The second option “starts with a different canvas,” Perello said. The tennis courts would be moved in order to expand green space from the park further east. New vegetation would be planted, and the east/west view from the park site to Community Park School and back would be opened up. Additional parking would be included, as would an indoor recreation facility that could house two courts for different sports.

The third option mixes some of the features of the first two, and includes some other layout changes. Six of the existing tennis courts would be retained, and six new ones would be built. The platform tennis courts would be moved to the side next to Route 206, in order to fit new storage buildings. The perimeter path would have sitting areas and exercise stations. There is no additional parking in this layout.

The fourth option creates a greener buffer to the southern end of the site. All-new tennis courts, along with platform and pickleball courts, would be moved closer to Route 206. New lighting would be added for the courts, with newer technology that doesn’t create glare for the homes that are nearby. The perimeter path would be widened to allow for security vehicles, and additional parking would be included.

The consultants and municipal staff hope to hold another meeting in the fall with choices having been narrowed down to one or two options. A video of both public engagement meetings and detailed information about each of the four plans are available on the website.