SOUTHWICK – The Open Space and Recreation Committee is holding a meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the land use room at the Southwick Town Hall.
According to Russ Fox, a member of the Open Space and Recreation Committee, the meeting will focus on talking about mapping the areas in town that may need more recreation as well as the responses the committee has received from the survey sent out to all residents in Southwick last year. The survey featured 11 questions that asked residents about different recreational opportunities in town and if they would take part in those activities. People were asked to send the survey back to the Southwick Town Hall on November 28, along with their tax bill.
Fox wanted to remind the community about the significance of making sure the Open Space plan is successful.
“If you don’t have this open space plan, you can’t apply for a lot of different grants,” said Fox.
The committee was formed due to the town of Southwick needing to update their Open Space and Recreation Plan. Every community in Massachusetts has the option to renew their plan every seven years. Southwick’s last plan was 2011 and the deadline for them to renew the plan is November of 2019. The plan allows municipalities in town to apply to various grants from the state.
The Southwick Open Space Plan and Recreation Committee discussing the plan at a meeting on October 25. (WNG File Photo)
The committee would like to keep the majority of the process internal. Committee member Russ Fox has noted that a majority of the 2019 plan will look similar to 2011, but some things have changed recreationally in Southwick since 2011. This includes the additions of Whalley Park and a disc golf facility, but losing the Southwick Country Club to development. In the previous plan from 2011, Southwick was no longer the host of the Motocross Nationals whereas the national event has since returned to town.
Due to the lack of changes that are expected to be made with the new plan, the committee isn’t planning on spending $10,000 or more. If the committee planned on spending that amount of money, they would have to send out at least three RFP’s (Request for Proposals) to organizations to assist them with the process.
For the town’s last plan implemented in 2012, they received assistance from the PVPC (Pioneer Valley Planning Commission) who helped by gathering data and statistics to help the committee create their plan. Fox noted that since the committee is looking at spending less than $10,000, they could ask for help from one organization, and PVPC will be in consideration.
The Community Preservation Committee has already agreed to take up to four or five percent out of their administrative account in order to use that money to hire a consultant.
Fox also added that on Thursday, the Open Space and Recreation Committee may discuss holding another public hearing in the near future to allow residents to give more input on what they want to see in Southwick for recreational activities. On October 26, the committee held a public informational session to allow residents to give their input but no residents attended.
