by Brian Keaney

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jim Maher has proposed a nine year plan to develop the underutilized Striar property in conjunction with the Department of Public Works.  Under the plan, the DPW would use the land as a snow dump and storage facility while they leveled the property.  As it became developed for recreational use, the DPW usage would wane.

In the first year of the plan, the DPW would gain access to the property thorough an easement provided by a business owner on Sprague Street, and would begin to use the site as a limited snow dump.  Currently snow is being dumped at Memorial Park and at St. Mary’s parking lot.  Yard waste would also be dumped and composted on the site to create clean fill. 

In years two and three the DPW would begin to level off the property and use it as a storage yard.  In years three to five an area would be paved over for use as a full scale snow dump.  Eventually, this would become a 160 car parking lot. 

As the land becomes leveled off with the composted yard waste, fields for practice use would be constructed on them in years five through seven.  Finally, in years seven through nine, game fields would be built on the site and the DPW’s use would be limited. 

Maher pitched the idea to his fellow Commissioners as a win-win situation for both departments. 

“If the DPW really wants to find a permanent home for their snow dump, they are going to have to expend some money, like building a 160 car parking lot,” Maher said.  “If we can help them out, then eventually it is going to help us.”

Commission Chairman Chuck DelloIacono said that the two departments have a good history of working together.  In addition to allowing the DPW to dump snow at Memorial, they saved the Parks Department a lot of money with their work on Condon Park this summer.

DPW Director Joe Flanagan had not yet seen the details of the plan, but said in principle “it makes sense.”  He said the Parks Department would eventually need a storage facility on the property anyway, and the DPW could use it in the interim then it would help them.

A major stumbling block for the proposal is finding the funds to put the plan into action.  A preliminary study by Vollmer Associates four years ago estimated the cost to develop the property at $4 million to $5 million, according to Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Bob Stanley. 

That plan included building an access road to the property for approximately $1 million, which will not be needed if the easement agreement is signed.  The town spends approximately $225,000 a year to remove yard waste, and could save more than $2 million over the course of the nine year plan.  Commissioners were confident that at least the early stages of the plan could be implemented

“We might even see a little action down at the Striar before we see it at the SMA,” said DelloIacono.