ROCKPORT — With a turning of the page, conceptualizing a park at the former elementary school site on West Street in Rockport has moved from conversation to design and engineering.

On Sept. 17, the Lesher Family Foundation, represented by M.J. Young and Dominic Pepper; Eamonn Hutton, a landscape architect with Agency Landscape and Planning; Kathy Blaha, LFF's public-private consultant; and Orion Thomas, Rockport Planner, presented the latest iteration of the Rockport Community Park plans at a public gathering held in the Geoffrey Parker Meeting Room of the Rockport Opera House.

The panel presented the final park design, and provided an update about establishing a conservancy for the 7.4 acres, and ensuring its financial future.

The conservancy is to be the eventual managing entity of the park.

With the design completed, the project of transforming the site, with its asphalt on one half and playing field on the other half of the long-vacant West Street parcel, represents, "a major milestone," said Hutton. "We are really proud of the design."

That design includes multiple features identified by citizens who participated in three online surveys and a series of meetings over the past year and marked important to be included in the new park. 

The year-long community-driven process produced the final design unveiled Sept. 17 in the Geoffrey Parker Meeting Room at the Rockport Opera House.

Rockport's new park is the result of a public-private venture approved by voters in June 2023 at annual town meeting. Voters accepted (Yes: 606; No: 93) the Lesher Foundation's proposal to help make the former Rockport Elementary School site a permanent public park and recreation area. The Foundation agreed to fund the project with $3 million to get it up and running.

The Foundation also pledged in the same warrant article to give the town an additional $1 million for a municipal project that the town designated. The latter has since occured with the $1 million donated to the construction of the West Rockport Fire Station.

Now, it is time to proceed with construction documents and actual construction of the park, tasks designated for 2025 and 2026.

"We don't want to go dark and disappear into AutoCAD," said Hutton.

Shaping the conservancy, said Blaha, is likewise underway with the formation of a board, establishment of a mission, and creation of a business plan -- "basically a start-up corporation," she said.

The revenue for keeping the park, as yet unnamed, will derive from in-kind donations, local philanthrophy, business generated from special events; e.g., weddings, and the creation of an endowment. While annual maintenance expenses (plowing, cutting grass, building upkeep) are anticipated to be $120,000, a draft business plan is due by the end of 2024.

Currently, a parttime program director, funded by the nonprofit Legacy Rockport and Lesher Foundation, is scheduling events, as well as regular use of the space (softball, T-ball and yoga).

The park will include a multi-use playing field, a pavilion, amphitheater, walking trail alongside the brook, an adventure playground in the woods, stormwater wetlands, playground (with equipment geared toward toddlers to eight- and nine-year-olds) next to the restrooms, an outer loop walking trail, a place for nature play and water play, a place for playing 4-square (designers consulted with middle school students), and if the weather and winter cooperate, perhaps ice skating circuit trails.

Shade trees and flowering shrubs will be planted, with low maintenance in mind.

As for large gatherings -- "If Taylor Swift came to town," said Hutton -- designers have figured the space currently dedicated to team sports, approximately 90,000 square feet -- could accommodate 12,000 standing individuals and 9,000 sitting.

There will be 55 parking spaces, and if there needs to be more parking for any event in town, it is possible to park 160 more vehicles on the lawn.

The name of the park will be determined via another public process, the panel said. After possible names are suggested, the more highly regarded submissions will be presented to the Rockport Select Board for consideration.

To learn more about the park project  the Lesher Foundation efforts, and a recording of the Sept. 17 meeting, visit the RES Community Park website.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at 207-706-6657; lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com