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Will There Be Sports at Whispering Hill?
West Side land was purchased for recreation area by the city in 2010.
Ward 7 Alderman Ray Drapeau, who represents the Whispering Hills area, called the open space land purchase "a great story." State Rep. Jim Dwyer (left) and Mayor Scott Galvin listen behind him.
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The city will hold a neighborhood meeting Wednesday to discuss athletic fields at Whispering Hill.
The 74-acre West Side land was purchased in 2010 for $6.7 million as a recreation area for the city. Earlier this year, Woburn received $500,000 from the Massachusetts Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) to fund recreational projects there.
The project to be discussed Wednesday will be an athletic field on the Cambridge Road side of the Whispering Hill lot. Officials have said in the past that the plan is for athletics, storage and parking at the site.
According to the city's Planning Department, the purpose of the meeting is to "introduce the concept plan for the project and to outline the steps and timeline for the project."
City officials and the project designer will be there to explain the proposal and answer questions.
Meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers Wednesday, Aug. 29.
At the time of the land's purchase, Ward 7 Alderman Ray Drapeau said, "We want to make sure we preserve this land. It is one of the largest tracts of open land in an urban setting."
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Susan Keeley
9:08 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I'm hoping we do more than just add a baseball diamond or soccer field. Recreation includes more than just team sport activities. The teens in Woburn need some rec space. I've seen so many of them in downtown Woburn with skateboards. While it may be fun to ride the ramps and railings at Citizen Park, they're not designed for stunts. It would be cool for the teens and relief for pedestrians if we built a skate park. Here's a great example built by the town of Silverthorne, CO in public park space: http://www.thecoloradoskateboardguide.com/index_files/silverthornerecreationcenter.htm
Laurel F
1:11 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
If Woburn decides to use this land, we must address the traffic issue. The intersection at Cambridge Road and South Bedford Rd is horrendous. I realize that Route 3 is a state road, but we are state taxpayers so we should be able to have a voice. In the past 6 months, I have witnessed 4 accidents at that site and have almost been hit myself. It needs left-turn lights and widening,at the very least. Perhaps the city could conduct an engineering survey of the intersection. Also, the fact that on Saturday afternoons, Route 3 is a parking lot must also be addressed with some sort of traffic mitigation. Thanks.