Help Envision Future Of Stoneham’s Parks and Open Space

Do you care about Open Space, Parks, and Recreation in Stoneham? If so, then your input is needed! The Town of Stoneham is updating its 1997 Open Space and Recreation Plan and the town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan steering committee wants to hear from you.

The town and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) will host the first of two public forums on the plan on Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in Stoneham Town Hall. Participants will discuss ideas for their priorities for open space protection and recreational facilities management.

The Plan Steering Committee consists of the following community members:

· George Seibold, Selectman

· Megan Day, Conservation Commission

· Rachel Renard, Conservation Commission

· Steve McDonough, Open Space & Recreation Committee

· Bill Murphy, Greenway Committee

· Massimo Guarino, Stoneham Soccer Club

An Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) provides information about the community, its environmental and recreational resources, and what residents want to achieve in the next seven years. Completion of an OSRP makes municipalities eligible to apply for state grants through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to acquire and improve land for conservation and recreation.

Stoneham’s most recent OSRP is for the years 1997-2002; because that plan is out of date, the town is not eligible for state grants for open space acquisition or recreational facilities improvements.

This project is funded by the Commonwealth’s Community Compact program and MAPC.

Questions? Contact either Erin Wortman, Stoneham Town Planner, at ewortman@stoneham-ma.gov, or Mark Racicot, MAPC Project Manager, at mracicot@mapc.org.