Bradford Hawes Park improvements move forward as scheduled
Over the last several months, the Town of Weymouth has strived to stay on schedule with planned improvements to Bradford Hawes Park. Thanks to the efforts of the Weymouth Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Park’s project team, a substantial amount of work has already been accomplished. The Department of Planning and Community Development anticipates that a number of improvements will be completed ahead of schedule, including the basketball court and street hockey rink. Moreover, all grant-funded renovations are expected to be finalized by mid-November.
As the Town continues pushing forward with improvements, the Planning Department would like to notify the park’s neighbors about several updates to design plans and construction activities:
Playground. New play equipment has been purchased and will be installed by Childscapes of Marshfield, Massachusetts. As previously specified, the playground area will include two accessible play structures designed for different age groups. The play equipment will be painted in neutral green and brown tones and will include decorative features consistent with the park’s forest/woodland theme. Although residents may notice alterations in the overall style of the equipment compared with the design-phase conceptual renderings, these differences simply reflect minor product differentiation in play equipment among manufacturers. The final playground structures were determined by Town staff to be substantially equivalent to the conceptual designs prepared by ICON park designs, and Childscapes has confirmed that the equipment can be installed within the short timeline afforded by the Our Common Backyards grant program. Digital renderings of the new play equipment are available on the Planning Department’s website. Click here to review.
Tree Removal. Construction of the park’s walking path is well underway and materials have been laid between the park's entrance and the Bradford Hawes dedication stone. During the construction process, the DPW was required to excavate in close proximity to the tree line so as to avoid impacts to the park’s ballfield. The roots of two pine trees were damaged as a consequence. Because these trees are adjacent to both the playground and swing sets, and given that pines are susceptible to falling under moderate-severe winds, the Town’s arborist has determined that these trees must be removed for park safety. The Planning Department remains cognizant of public concerns over the removal of additional trees for landscape purposes, but regrettably the safety of park users compels action under the current circumstances.
Security Lighting. Light poles will be installed to help illuminate the park’s amenities and provide for enhanced security in the evening and night. The Planning Department, in partnership with the DPW, have evaluated the park’s conditions and determined that an electrical lighting system would best serve the needs of the site and the park’s neighbors. However, the preparation, procurement and installation of such a system requires a several month wait period followed by a public bid process. While the Town will proceed with these tasks in a timely manner, it is not possible for lighting to be installed by the end of the calendar year. The estimated completion date for this town-funded component of the project has been changed to the spring of 2015.
The Planning Department continues to thank the park’s neighbors for their interest and patience in improving the site. As the project moves closer to completion, the Department will keep residents informed about any substantial changes to construction activities as well as plans for a ribbon cutting ceremony before the end of 2014.