Dedham Select Board Holds First Input Session On Town Green

DEDHAM, MA - The Dedham Select Board hosted the first of two virtual public meetings on the proposed town green on the current site of the police station on Monday, Jan. 11, with 72 participants attending via Zoom and others watching on Dedham TV.

These listening sessions are being held to allow the community to give feedback on the proposal rather than to provide a presentation for the project, located at 600 High St., explained Select Board Chair Dimitria Sullivan. A second meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 18 to gather more input before the Select Board votes on the proposal at its meeting on Jan. 20.

The Dedham Square Planning Committee, or DSPC, has been working since December 2018 to explore uses for the site once the new public safety building is complete and the current police station consequently will be vacant. It is located directly in the center of Dedham Square, making it a prime location for exploration of new uses.

While most of the responses were supportive, the one concern raised by several people was the availability of parking. Another was cut-through traffic on adjacent Church Street, where cars tend to speed.

Meg Duncan, a Town Meeting member, called the chance to develop a town green “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to develop “a very welcome communal space” as she outlined its proposed amenities.

“By listening to the desires of the community during many public meetings and smart planning and design, the committee was able to create a plan that not only provides green space but also would help ease traffic and pedestrian issues at a problematic intersection,” she said.

A public performance space, a covered patio, shade trees, native plants, a water feature, and a playground with equipment and benches are featured. She said this was “a jewel of a plan” that would not only benefit residents but also the business community and visitors to Dedham.

While some residents have said they would like additional parking on the site, a 2018 study found that there is a satisfactory level of parking in the square. New meters were recently installed, allowing the public to pay in four ways. The construction of the public safety building has caused a decrease in parking spaces temporarily.

Kim Evans said she believed the green is “exactly what the town needs” so that people can gather, eat an ice cream, and enjoy the square’s environment.

Other elements that were pointed out as benefits were the raised crosswalks, opportunities for community engagement, and a pollinator garden.

Resident Jim Hooper, whose professional background includes 45 years of commercial and real estate development, said the plan was “one of the nicest pieces of work I’ve ever seen,” noting its comprehensive approach.

He cautioned the Select Board not to “tinker with the process” to cut costs, which are estimated at $4 million, because the benefits will exceed the expense. Grants are being pursued to cover some of the costs, including ones for traffic and climate resiliency approaches.

Jim Sullivan, also a resident, said he is “not entirely supportive of the plan,” noting that some of the project is planned to extend into sidewalks and the additional lot on the property that it not owned by the town. Some traffic concerns were previously addressed in town, he said, such as shortened crosswalks.

Steven Cecil, a former Dedham resident of 30 years and a landscape architect, called into the meeting from Seattle. He said he was “really excited about the project.”

“Public open space is extremely difficult to design,” he explained, emphasizing that the process was community based. “It seems simple. But how many spaces have you driven by that don’t have the right components? This design is extremely well designed with the right balance of components.”

He stressed that it should not become a parking lot, calling it “a 100 percent corner for Dedham.”

Resident Stacey Turner said a parking lot on that corner “is very shortsighted” and “is not what we want as a town to show our best colors.”

She compared the town green to similar spaces in Roslindale and Needham, which attract residents and shoppers and host events.

Howard Ostroff, a resident, noted that Dedham is one of the only area towns that does not have a town green. Other towns have capitalized on this, including Norwood.

Former state Rep. Marie-Louise Kehoe, who had previously served on the Board of Selectmen for three decades and currently is a member of the DSPC, said the town green will be a space to unite Dedham’s neighborhoods.

“It’s all about community, one of my most favorite words,” she said.