PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Revisioning for Pontoosuc Lake Park has materialized into possible designs.

The Parks Commission last week reviewed four design proposals for the north side of the park and three for the south side.

Improvements that were consistent throughout the designs included the replacement or removal of the concrete retaining wall at the north park, a kayak launch at the western part of the north parking lot, parking lot and access improvements, and a pedestrian path along the water in the south park.

The city began the venture to transform the Pontoosuc Lake Park last year. The revisioning is part of a long-range open space and recreation plan for the city.

An online survey was released during the month of September that queried the public on their current uses for the park and how it should look in the future. It generated 225 responses from residents and people living out of town.

In November, there were two public input sessions, one virtual and one in person.  The community's wishes were used to fuel designs created by  Berkshire Design Group out of Northampton, which was hired for the project.

One design for the south side of Pontoosuc Park features a wide gravel trail with pull-outs for picnic tables and benches that leads to a level area that overlooks the water. Additional designs include a more developed trail system of picnic locations and even slightly extends the walkway into the lake for observation.

To make the area accessible, the hillside will be traversed with a number of trails to picnic areas and the destination space at the waterfront.

"The focus of this was really taking that experience from the parking lot down along the shore edge, engaging with that shoreline, that embankment and then coming around and really extending out into the water, getting fishing opportunities," landscape architect Jeffrey Squire explained.

"There's a number of things with this element, really really important, so it's sort of the pinnacle of the schemes for the south side."

The four concepts for the north side play with different swimming opportunities, a paved walkway, gathering places such as a pavilion, a playground, and open space.

Some concepts also suggest placing the beach that was formerly located on the south side of the park where there are wetland complications on the north side.

Commissioner Michele Matthews said she likes the idea of a beach and pointed out that the community expressed a desire for the beach during public input sessions.

Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said the city would like to have a lifeguard present at the beach but is unsure if it will be possible. Without a lifeguard, it will be a swim at your own risk location with clear swimming lines and signage.

"Ultimately the goal would be to have lifeguards as we project sort of the full build-out of the Pontoosuc Lake Park vision," he said. "But there really is no requirement for us to do anything other than making it safe and sign it appropriately."

Commissioner Anthony DeMartino observed that bathrooms would likely be needed on the north side and that it could be costly.  

McGrath said the city could explore "less is more" solutions such as seasonal portable restrooms.

"There are ways that we can design appropriate facilities that don't cost a lot of money and that meet the needs in a very simple sort of less is more kind of way, which is something I think that we always need to consider," he said.

"But at the same time, those less is more design elements have to be suitable for an urban park environment, so everything needs to be sturdy enough to withstand the pressures that this park will get so therein lies the need for good professional design services, which is what we're getting into now."

There was also discussion around a possible swimming area where the retaining wall is on the north end, as commissioners believed it immediately drops to around six feet.  McGrath said the next steps after settling on a concept vision are doing a full survey of the area which will leave them well informed on these details.

For the next steps, McGrath said the city would like to have at least two public meetings to review the designs — one in person and one virtual — and will take input from the commission, staff members, the community, and dedicated stakeholders to create a master vision.

The meetings will likely be held in February and March with a final plan arriving in the following months.  There is no rush, McGrath said, even if the master vision is completed in May it will not be problematic for the process.

"I think there are some key takeaways here that I think is pretty clear that the commission really favors that swimming on the north side and some small beach access, I think you like the idea of sort of the wider pathways and promenade areas on both the north and the south side, so there are some things that we are hearing," he observed.

"The full handicap accessibility is something we've all I think embraced right from the beginning here, being very cognizant of capital costs and ongoing maintenance costs is something we always are needing to consider and then the durability of whatever it is that we design."

Two more public sessions will be held in March.

Pontoosuc Lake Park Conceptual Designs by iBerkshires .com on Scribd

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