Water Recreation Assessment ApplicationWater Based Recreation Assessment 1
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT APPLICATION COVER SHEET
I: Project Information
Project Title: Water Based Recreation Assessment
Project Summary: CPA Funding is sought to hire a qualified consulting firm to assess
existing informal swimming areas in Northampton to assess possible improvements
to make them more usable as informal swimming areas, identify which one or two
have the greatest potential for more formalized improved swimming areas and one
or two which might have potential for more minor improvements, and create a
preliminary design for such improvements sufficient to apply for outside grants.
Estimated start and completion date: For assessment phase: 2021
CPA Program Area (check all that apply):
Open Space � Historic Preservation
� Community Housing Recreation
II: Applicant/Developer Information
Contact Person and or/primary applicant: Wayne Feiden
Property Owner (if applicable): Various waterfront parcels.
Organization (if applicable): Northampton Office of Planning and Sustainability
Mailing Address: City Hall, 210 Main Street, Second Floor
Daytime phone #: 413-587-1265 Fax #: 413-587-1264
E-mail address: wfeiden@northamptonma.gov
III: Budget Summary
Total budget for project: $65,000
CPA funding request: $65,000
CPA request as percentage of total budget: 100% for the initial assessment phase.
This will create opportunities for leverage of additional funding sources for
implementation.
Applicant’s Signature:
Date Submitted: September 18, 2020_______________________
Water Based Recreation Assessment 2
Project Overview:
According to the American Rivers Institute, “Time spent outside recreating in open
spaces and along rivers are an important factor in a healthy life. Unfortunately, many
communities do not have recreation areas available close to their homes. Communities
across the country face serious health and social issues including obesity, diabetes, and
depression, among others, and a sedentary lifestyle is seen as a major contributor
towards the many different health and social issues we face. Improving access to
outdoor recreation in and along rivers is a great opportunity to improve healthy choices
and connect communities with local treasures.” Northampton is fortunate to have two
significant river resources in the Mill and Connecticut, but swimming access to these
areas is limited, while demand for water based recreation increases each summer.
CPA funding is sought to conduct a feasibility study of the most viable swimming areas
on the Mill River and the Connecticut River (five in all) and explore what it would look
like if we made major improvements for primary swimming areas at two (Maines Field
and Connecticut River Greenway) and minor improvements at three (Leeds/Orange
Dam, Leeds/Cook Dam, Pine Street/Cross Street/Nonotuck Mills Dam)
2. Initial concept drawings (10 to 25% IF there is time and budget) of the selected
option to
We would use this process for public engagement and get far enough along to apply for
future state and/or federal grants to implement a portion of the study that sparks
community support and partner and city support.
Contributes to the preservation of Northampton’s unique character, boosts the vitality of
the community, and enhances the quality of life for its residents
Northampton’s riverine resources contribute significantly to its community
character. The Mill and Connecticut are enjoyed for boating, fishing, and through
pathways and trails through their riverfronts. Access for swimming is very
limited, and this project seeks to create additional opportunities to fill that gap
and serve more people.
Addresses recommendations contained in the Sustainable Northampton comprehensive
plan and/or the Northampton Open Space, Recreation, and Mixed Use Trail Plan 2018-
2025 or is consistent with other city-wide planning efforts that have received broad-
based scrutiny and input and can demonstrate wide community support
Creation of water based recreation facilities was identified as a priority in the
Open Space and Recreation Plan.
Serves under-served populations
One of the major goals of the project is to create water access for everyone;
including all populations.
Receives endorsement by community groups, municipal boards and/or departments and
City residents.
Water Based Recreation Assessment 3
The project is supported by the Office of Planning and Sustainability and
Recreation Department. The project is in its initial stages, but we look forward to
additional dialogue and community discussion and support once the assessment
begins moving forward and details and options are established.
Leverages additional public and/or private funds, or demonstrates that other funding
sources are not readily available or sufficient
CPA funding is being requested at this point only for an initial assessment and
development of 25% design plans. This will create opportunities for additional
leverage and funding for implementation, but funding availability for the first
phases are very limited.
Demonstrates a high benefit/cost value
The entire project will provide a huge value to the community and surrounding
region at a relatively low initial city CPA investment.
Can be implemented expeditiously and within budget
If the Committee is amenable, we are requesting that review of this application
be conducted at the first meeting of the funding round cycle rather than waiting
for the full round decisions. We are hoping to go out to bid as soon as possible to
allow us to engage a consultant and begin public outreach over the winter, with
designs potentially to be ready to progress to full engineering and implementation
in 2021.
The project also meets many of the specific Open Space and Recreation criteria:
Open Space Criteria:
Provide opportunities for passive recreation and environmental education
Provide connections with existing non-motorized multi-use trails or potential trail
linkages
Preserve valuable surface water resources, including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds,
wetlands, buffer zones, vernal pools and riparian zones
Recreation Criteria:
Support multiple active and passive recreation uses;
Serve a significant number of residents;
Expand the range of recreational opportunities available to Northampton residents of
all ages
Enhance the appreciation of the natural world and its conservation
Contribute to the positive health status of its citizens
Benefit conservation and recreation initiatives
Maximize the utility of land already owned by Northampton
Water Based Recreation Assessment 4
Promote the creative use of former railway, waterways and other corridors, including
connecting corridors, to create safe and healthful non-motorized transportation
and exercise opportunities
Incorporate environmentally friendly design and long-term maintenance
ATTACHMENTS
Preliminary Assessment
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Increasing Water-Based Recreation in Northampton
Preliminary Assessment (8.15.2020)
Challenge: There is a clear demonstrated demand for more swimming opportunities, both at
informal and managed swimming areas.
Heavy recreation use at informal swimming areas demonstrate strong user needs of desire lines.
Recreational use has increased dramatically, driven by increasing periods of summer heat, by
word-of-mouth and social media awareness of these swimming opportunities, and, in 2020, with
Covid-19 restrictions on alternative recreation opportunities.
Sites are being loved to death, with trash, human waste, noise, and traffic problems.
Neighborhood complaints and conflicts have increased dramatically with increased use and
abuse.
Private property owners, where some of these swimming areas are located, are unable to address
all of the abuse.
The City has limited resources to manage existing recreation and conservation areas and
resources to support increased use and new recreation needs are limited.
Public or private enforcement (nuisance, parking, trash, waste, and noise) cannot extinguish
desire lines or address all issues.
Because recreation users are disproportionately populations of color, enforcement actions would
disproportionately affect populations of color.
The City and the community needs to explore improving formal or informal swimming and
whether resources (from grant funds, user fees, other public funds, and/or other sources) can be
made available to address these needs
Immediate operational changes for private landowners and public agencies may be needed for
2020. Increased recreation opportunities, however, will take multiple years.
The city has performed this preliminary assessment to open the conversation. All findings are
preliminary only and subject to change.
Our next major step will be apply for CPA funds to conduct a technical assessment and develop
cost estimates, while combining that effort with a community engagement process. Depending on
the outcomes of that process, we will prepare the necessary grant applications for implementation.
For more information, contact Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning & Sustainability,
WFeiden@NorthamptonMA.gov
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Existing Formal Swimming Areas
Summary: All five of the existing public and quasi-public area are popular and serve the public well.
There are limited opportunities for expansion. These sites cannot fully meet the desire lines seen at
informal recreation on the Connecticut River for low cost, outdoor swimming and picnicking areas.
Opportunities: The clearest opportunity is to identify funding to underwrite memberships, parking,
and picnic fees.
Action agenda: These sites are not in need of major improvements or future study as part of this
project. The primary opportunity is to explore new funding streams to lower the costs at Musante
Beach.
Area Ownership Management
YMCA pool
Massasoit St.
YMCA Day use and membership
Northampton Country Club pool
Spring St.
Country Club Membership only
Aquatic Center pool at JFK
Bridge Rd.
City Day use and membership
Musante Beach
Reservoir Rd.
City Day use only (pre-covid-membership)
Look Park Spray Pool
North Main St
Look Park/ City Fee for parking and picnic tables. Entry is free
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Informal Swimming Areas with Opportunities for Improvement
Summary: All six of these sites are heavily used for swimming, meet a very strong public need. All
of these sites, however, also have overuse and abuse challenges.
Opportunities: There are opportunities to:
1. Reduce abuse and reduce use at some sites
2. Make modest physical and management improvements at some sites.
3. Make significant physical (e.g., sanitary facilities) and management improvements at a key site(s).
Grants funds are probably available for physical improvements at public sites, but addressing long
term management needs will not be grant covered and resources must be identified.
Action agenda: Apply for CPA funds in September 2020. Engage the community to analyze these
sites in more detail. Consider which sites should have modest investment for improvements and
which sites, if any, should receive more major investments.
Any area actively managed by the City needs City ownership, easement, or lease. All sites need to
address noise, trash, parking, and user conflicts. Management models can include:
1. Free access, with a part-time or work-study river steward coordinating management.
2. User fee or significant funding staffing. This allows better self-sustaining management but
makes it harder to either keep sites affordable.
3. Parking fees (or residents-only parking with paid parking non-residents) to cover management
costs.
4. Privately run sites or partnerships.
Area Ownership Issues
Conn. Riverfront Park
Damon Road
City *Could accommodate major improvements
1. Heavily used
2. No water/sewer
3. Swift currents
Mill River, Maines Field
Riverside Drive
City *Could accommodate major improvements
1. Heavily used
2. Available parking and controllable entrance
3. Bathroom needs to be upgraded
4. Flood prone
Mill River, Nonotuck Dam
Cross St. & Pine St
Private Could accommodate small improvements
1. Heavily used
2. Majority is private property
3. Unsafe dam
4. Neighborhood conflicts
5. Very limited or no water, and sewer
6. Water quality and need for testing
7. City maintenance resources limited
Mill River, upriver Cook Dam
Spring Street
City
Mill River, Cook Dam
Spring St
Private
Mill River, Orange Dam
Florence St/Mulberry
Private
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Sites Infeasible to Provide New Swimming Opportunities
Summary: Other sites that area either desirable for swimming, were previously used for swimming,
or have small dipping pockets are not feasible for expansion.
Limits: These sites either have legal and health limits (e.g., public water supply), no longer are
feasible (e.g., Clear Falls), or will continue to serve as areas to get wet but don’t have the capacity to
serve swimming and recreation at increased rates.
Area Ownership Issues
Mill River at Paradise Pond,
Northampton State Hospital,
and Look Park
State
City
Private
Very small wading or dipping areas and difficult
access. River steward could monitor but not room
for swimming
Manhan River, Clear Falls
Drury Lane
Private Historic swimming area closed. Environmental
and physical limits would prevent full restoration,
although small dipping areas remain.
Conn. River Greenway at
Elwell Island and at Rainbow
Beach
City Very heavily used but only accessible by boat.
Vehicle access is no viable. Storm devastated
beach at Elwell Island
Conn. River Greenway
Rainbow Beach
City Only accessible by boat. Road access would be
extremely difficult.
Fitzgerald Lake, N. Farms City Mucky bottom, not desirable except for
swimming from boat. Building sandy beach is not
viable
Water Supply Reservoirs City Water supply- not viable
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Recreation User Interviews (August 2020 at Nonutuck Mills, Cooks Dam, and Orange Dam)
Questions asked of recreation users Responses (summaries)
How do you use this area (e.g., swimming, picnic,
play, and barbecue)?
Family fun, recreation, cooling off, swimming, relaxing, picnic,
read (when there’s not a lot of noise), morning prayer, meet
up with friends.
What other areas did you consider using (e.g., your
backyard, Look Park, Musante Beach, parks in other
towns)
None this year, Huntington because they have bathrooms and
trash barrels, not a lot of other places to choose from, many
parks and public pools are closed, beach (but it is far), Cape
Cod, Orange Dam, Cooks Dam, Pufton pond, Connecticut
river, Chapel Brook.
Why didn't use other recreation areas? No free parking, this is closer, live nearby, many places are
closed to the public, not as fun for the kids, don’t know a lot
of places (new to the area), this one is my favorite. Many
expressed frustration that other options are not open.
Where do you live? Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Worcester (one group at
Cooks Dam), Florence, Easthampton, Westfield. (From
random sample majority came from nearby towns.)
How did you learn about this site Friends, grew up here, family, word of mouth
Would you use the site if that required following
rules (e.g., carry out trash, user fees)?
Yes, just about everywhere you go you have to carry your own
trash out, It’s common sense, That would work, We would
pay to enter, Need restrooms, Need trash receptacles,
Parking, Not really…we’ve been coming here all of our lives –
we don’t want to pay a fee now, We keep it clean when we
come, Yes of course!
Who would influence your use of the site (e.g., signs,
group norms, enforcement, friends, family, a river
steward)?
River steward would be nice, opening and closing hours to
alleviate traffic / noise for neighbors, signs, family, friends,
more structure and facilities, My girlfriend. Many people
expressed frustration with the amount of trash left behind.
Where do people go relieve themselves? Woods, river, wait to get home, don’t go except at home
Do you worry about Covid? Yes, no because we’re outside, I try to wear a mask around
other people, a little bit, not really.
Are you aware that you’re supposed to wear a mask
when in large crowds or in the bike trail?
Yes, no, didn’t know about the bike trail mask rule, I am
aware and I try to.