Outdoor Classroom

Goals

Create a fully accessible, multisensory outdoor community classroom/park on a portion of the Halloran Sports and Recreation Complex in Albemarle Park, adjacent to the new playground behind the Horace Mann Elementary School, including: gazebo, raised planting beds, new drinking fountain and sundial

Funding

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• November 2002 - Proposal, including budget, photos, and slide presentation
  
  • Site plan & detail
  • Other site-related attachments (relation to school curriculum, suggested designs & components)
  • Letters of support
• 5 June 2003 - CPC funding recommendation
• 14 July 2003 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

• November 2004 - Project design/construction documents (this very large file will load slowly)
• 18 May 2011 - In response to the project's unspent balance of $12,929 since 2007, the Community Preservation Committee asked the Parks & Recreation Dept. to close the project and return all unspent funds. See page 5 of these CPC meeting minutes.
• 21 September 2011 - The CPC extended the project completion deadline to 1 June 2011. See page 2 of these CPC meeting minutes.
• 13 June 2012 - Parks & Recreation Dept. Request for further extension (remaining project balance $11,496)
• 26 June 2012 - CPC denial of further extension (excerpt from minutes)

Eddy Street to the Charles River

For the location of the brook's numbered sections below, see multi-project maps.

Goals

Design and install improvements along this channelized brook, from Eddy Street to the Charles River, including bike paths, improved linkage to abutting open spaces and recreation facilities, environmental remediation to improve water quality, accessible footbridge, new plantings, lighting and outdoor furnishings.

Funding

Proposal Review & Appropriations

Cheesecake Brook Greenway 1
(Eddy Street to Harrington Street)

• Funded through Newton's Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). CPA funds were not requested.

Cheesecake Brook Greenway 2
(Harrington Street to Watertown Street)

• 17 October 2005 - Proposal, including budget, photos, and slide presentation
• October 2006 - Updated project presentation & photos
• 2006-07 - Excerpts from CPC minutes (the CPC deferred any decision on whether to recommend funding)

Cheesecake Brook Greenway 3
(Watertown Street to the Charles River)

• 17 October 2005 - Proposal
• 20 April 2006 - CPC funding recommendation
• 5 June 2006 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

Cheesecake Brook Greenway 3
(Watertown Street to the Charles River)

• 7 November 2006 - Project consultant scope of work
• 24 June 2009 - Near-final concept drawings/maps presented at community mtg (this large file may load slowly)
• December 2009 - Final master plan (this large file may load slowly)

Central Corridor

Goals

Based on Albemarle Park Master Plan, design improvements to the central corridor of the park, including: improved circulation and linkages, ecological restoration of southern portions of Avery Woods, new entry plaza, new plantings, berms, lighting and furnishings.

Funding

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• 30 September 2005 - Proposal, with attachments:
  
  • Map & photos
  • Potential scope of work for project consultant
• November 2005 - Presentation at public hearing (incl. photos & maps)
• February 2006 - Proposal letters of support
• 20 April 2006 - CPC funding recommendation
• 5 June 2006 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

• 12 November 2008 - Work on this project had not yet begun by fall 2008, when Newton received the court decision SJC-10135, 24 October 2008, determining that such projects constituted the "rehabilitation" of parks not created or acquired with CPA funds and were therefore not eligible for CPA funds under the state CPA statute at that time. The project was canceled and all funds were returned. See the Community Preservation Coalition's newsletter article from January 2009 for an analysis of this court decision.
• Note: In summer 2012, the state CPA statute was amended to allow CPA funding for the rehabilitation of parks not created or acquired with CPA funds. Read the current full text of the statute.