PEABODY — A proposal to expand and enhance the recreation and open spaces located in the James Street/Perkins Street/Emerson Heights area took another step forward this week.
The James Street Eco-Campus Hub project calls for the creation of a network of trailways that would connect the recreational parks along James and Perkins streets with the Higgins Middle School.
The project plan was presented to the community via Zoom last Wednesday.
“This is great feedback and exactly what we were looking for from the public,” said City Planner Andrew Levin. “The main function of this space is recreational. It will enhance the relationship of the existing park to the Perkins Street area and make the whole area a connected and much larger hub or campus. We encourage all members of the community to check it out.”
Levin said that the project was identified as a priority project in the 2020 Eco-Recreational Campus Connectivity Plan developed by the city and environmental consulting firm Horsley Witten Group. That plan included a narrative on creating and improving interparcel connections and the overall connection among the whole area, identifying James Street (the site of a Peabody Little League baseball field) as the centerpiece of the project.
Levin said Horsley Witten Group and the city, with funding from the Peabody Community Preservation Committee and under the direction of Mayor Edward J. Bettencourt, have been working together on developing plans to improve pedestrian movement, enhance the current park and its infrastructure, and increase access and connectivity to the overall campus.
The current plan includes the creation of a series of ADA-compliant pathways located in the woods between the middle school and James Street, thereby connecting the recreational parks along James and Perkins streets with the school.
The plan also includes plans to improve pedestrian movement and safety with the construction of a sidewalk along James Street, and provides for the creation of potential future recreation opportunities.
“The city is seeking to have the 75 percent design plans for the pathway completed by early summer 2021 and move forward toward 100 percent design and permitting shortly thereafter,” Levin said, adding that, while the final cost of the project has yet to be determined, the city is seeking a variety of funding sources to construct this project — including federal and state sources and different grant opportunities.
Resident Joe Amico, a member of the School Committee, asked if there would be an opportunity to conduct a walking tour of the area with neighbors, engineers and officials.
“We did that with the Higgins Middle School project and it was very productive,” Amico said. “But I thank you for doing this and just want to know if we could just involve the residents a little more.”
Amico also expressed concerns about lighting along the walking paths. Levin said nighttime lighting will be discouraged.
Commission on Disability member Tom Muxie asked if there would be handicap access on Perkins Street to avoid having to “roll up” the path from James to Perkins.
“That is certainly something Community Development can look into doing,” said
Brian Lavierrere, a landscape architect with the Horsley Witten Group.
The project includes a “spray garden” for children. Ward 4 Councilor Ed Charest suggested an alternative use, such as a putting green with people supplying their own golf clubs and balls.
“There are pros and cons regarding the expense of filtration, and maybe we should consider a quieter use,” he said.
In terms of a timetable for the project, Lavierrere said the park portion of the design is at the 25 percent phase.
“There is still plenty of time for people to weigh in on the spray garden,” he said.
The presentation focused heavily on pedestrian safety, with Lavierrere saying, “Pedestrian safety is paramount but with a park-like feel, people will feel safe.”
Eight parking spaces, two of them handicap, will be added to James Street, which will be a one-way. A guardrail and row of trees will be placed along the street to provide separation. Lavierrere said the middle school will provide overflow parking during the summer months when schools are closed.
Amico said that, on any given day, there could be 50 cars parked at or near the James Street Little League field.
“I feel that will be a major challenge for James Street, and I am getting texts from neighbors who are listening,” Amico said. “We still need to sit down and talk about some of these things, but overall, this is a great project.”