Open Space and Recreation Plan
The completed 2020 Longmeadow Open Space Plan is now available for viewing.
Questions on the Open Space and Recreation Plan? Call or email the Parks and Recreation Department: 413.565.4160
Longmeadow Open Space and Recreation Plan
We would like to thank the community of Longmeadow for your participation in this process. Your feedback made for a thoughtful and inclusive document.
We would also like to thank the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) and especially Emily Slotnick, for their hard work and dedication to this process and the final plan preparation.
Last, we would like to thank the OSRP committee for their dedication to this 13 month process. Your hours of meeting, planning and participating made this working document come to life.
Kristin Carnahan- Longmeadow Resident
Patrick Carnahan- Tree Committee
Andrea Chasen- Conservation Commisison and Energy & Sustainability Committee
Walter Gunn- Planning Board and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Jamie Hensch- School Committee
Bari Jarvis- Longmeadow Parks and Recreation
Tim Keane- Town Engineer
Geoffrey McAlmond- Deputy DPW Director
Arlene Miller- Recycling Commission
Margaret Rakas- Chair, Parks and Recreation Board
Lyn Simmons- Town Manager
- Goal #1 - Town owned parks and conservation areas are used for their intended and allowed purposes and safe for all users.
- Goal #2 - Recreation needs of all Longmeadow residents are met by expanding opportunities and upgrading conditions of existing facilities
- Goal #3 – Local parks and conservation areas are well cared for, managed and maintained.
- Goal #4 – The Connecticut River and its floodplain are protected as a wildlife corridor and used for passive recreation.
- New: Goal #5 – Strengthen Longmeadow’s climate change resilience through park and open space design and preservation.
| Objectives: | Actions: |
|---|---|
| • Improve compliance with posted rules and regulations for each town owned park and/or conservation area | • Promote/post current rules and regulations at town parks and conservation lands and at edge of abutting property where access is observed. |
| • New: Expand educational resources about existing open spaces, trail networks, and other resources | • Develop “ticketing” system implemented by volunteer core for local park rule violators (i.e. not picking up after your dog) (moved from Goal #3) |
| • New: Expand community programming to increase residents’ exposure and awareness of existing conservation lands and passive recreational resources | |
| • New: Ensure Town recreational resources are accessible to residents of all physical abilities |
| Objectives: | Actions: |
|---|---|
| • Provide a sufficient number of fields for each sport such that an appropriate period of field rotation can be applied to ensure the long-term health of the recreational facility | • Identify properties for the development of new athletic fields (soccer, football, lacrosse). |
| • New: Expand playing hours and seasons for all recreational facilities | • Seek funding for the acquisition of new properties. |
| • New: Meet community needs for organized and informal team and individual sports, including skate boarding and basketball | • Develop long-term operation and maintenance plans for the new facilities including integration of use with other community athletic facilities. |
| • New: Provide safe, ample and context-appropriate space for dog owners to walk, run, and play with their pets | • Initiate synthetic turf feasibility study to determine if this type of facility will better meet the needs of the Longmeadow youth athletics community. |
| • Investigate shared athletic facilities with neighboring towns and Bay Path College. | |
| • Explore relationships with abutting towns for expansion of recreation connectivity and open space corridors (moved from Goal #1). | |
| • New: Create a task force to initiate a feasibility study for a skate park in Longmeadow. | |
| • New: Create a task force to initiate a feasibility study for a dog park in Longmeadow (old action: Identify a location for a dog park) | |
| • New: Investigate feasibility of installing lights at the most heavily used outdoor recreation facilities to extend the potential window of use. |
| Objectives: | Actions: |
|---|---|
| • Engage Town leaders, community volunteers, and user groups to support maintenance efforts. | • Develop, implement, and/or update maintenance plans for town-owned parks and conservation areas |
| • Promote community pride and engender respect for the resources through well maintained recreation and conservation areas. | • Designate volunteer core for each park and conservation area and “swear them in” |
| • Sustain a healthy Town-wide tree belt for future generations. | • Maintain seasonal list of activities for volunteer core |
| • New: Ensure sufficient funding mechanisms exist to support municipal budgets for park and conservation area management. | • Recognize volunteer activities in the local media and the accomplishments of their work. |
| • Implement storm drain stenciling program – “No trash in the drain” | |
| • Identify funding sources for maintenance of town recreation facilities and conservation areas (moved from Goal #1) | |
| • Seek funding for maintenance of town recreation facilities (moved from Goal #1). | |
| • Identify funding for management of diseased trees (moved from Goal #1). | |
| • Develop plan for management of tree belt including an updated tree inventory (moved from Goal #1). |
| Objectives: | Actions: |
|---|---|
| • Provide public access to the Connecticut River for passive recreation. | • Develop improved access to the Connecticut River for canoeing and kayaking. |
| • Secure permanent protection of the Connecticut River floodplain and its high ecological value. | • Enforce against illegal dumping in the “the meadows”. |
| • Enhance trail system on town-owned land in “the meadows” for passive recreational activities including hiking and bird-watching. | |
| • Seek permanent protection of privately owned parcels abutting the river. | |
| • Support stormwater management and pollution abatement including pet waste, landscape chemicals, and litter. |
| Objectives: | Actions: |
|---|---|
| • New: Ensure existing open space and conservation lands are protected from development in perpetuity. | • New: Ensure existing open space and conservation lands are protected from development in perpetuity. |
| • New: Prioritize new investments in parks and land conservation in locations where climate change impacts such as extreme heat and inland flooding can be mitigated. | • New: Prioritize new investments in parks and land conservation in locations where climate change impacts such as extreme heat and inland flooding can be mitigated. |
| • New: Enhance the capacity of natural systems to accommodate increased intensity precipitation events | • New: Enhance the capacity of natural systems to accommodate increased intensity precipitation events |
| • New: Increase park access and distribution for neighborhoods where residents are most vulnerable to climate change. | • New: Increase park access and distribution for neighborhoods where residents are most vulnerable to climate change. |