By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Phase 1 of the Fred Wolfe Park Master Plan is officially a go.
The Orange Board of Selectmen voted unanimously at their April 8 meeting to move forward with the initial stage of the park’s overhaul as designed by contractor BL Companies.
Phase 1 would focus primarily on the south and southwest portion of the park and include the redevelopment of entrances at Oakview Drive and Hollow Road. It would eliminate a current roadway that cuts through the center of the park and has been identified as a safety hazard, instead looping cars around the southern edge.
This would only be the first of a five-phase process to be completed over a number of years. BL has estimated the total cost at around $20 million.
Phase 2 would see a third entrance built out to Meetinghouse Lane and complete the park’s internal loop for cars.
Phase 3 focuses on rehabilitating the central fields. The fourth phase tackles the eastern section with environmental remediation and the building of sport courts, maintenance buildings and a possible community building. Finally, Phase 5 would make adjustments to the north end, which is currently occupied by leased farm fields. The plan envisions either conversions to athletic fields or meadowland.
The Town Plan and Zoning Commission in February gave a favorable recommendation to adopt the master plan. BL developed it over the course of four years in conjunction with the town’s Fred Wolfe Park Committee.
Tom Pisano, head of the Orange Soccer Association, criticized the plan for failing to consider in depth the need to schedule field use for multiple athletic organizations, including those currently playing at Mary L. Tracy School.
“They clearly stated they did not include relocating any athletic fields in the town of Orange to Fred Wolfe Park,” he said. “They were just dealing with what they were told – maximize the fields that are there.”
“It will be a significant amount of additional open space for grass,” First Selectman Jim Zeoli said of the first phase. “I hope we get your input on it. And should you decide to work with the committee…to develop that space into something that’s acceptable to you for your Sunday programs, I’m more than glad to work with you on it.”
Several of the residents who live around the park expressed worry that their lives will be disrupted by the construction of the new entrances.
“It’s going to be a lot of taxpayers’ money, for what? To make now a third entrance and exit for soccer fields in Orange?” said Carrie Richards, whose lives near one of the proposed entrances would be built. “I just feel like it’s a little bit of overkill for a park that is in the middle of a residential area.”
Clare Ankawi, who lives in the same neighborhood, voiced a similar sentiment about the planned traffic configuration.
“We have concerns about the traffic that’s coming in, that’s it’s going to close off part of our community,” she said, adding that she wasn’t aware of BL reaching out to anyone in the affected neighborhood.
“We did not receive anything in the mail asking for our feedback, or had anyone come to our door,” she said.