Hampton outlines 10-year plan for parks, trails, open space

Hampton Township is preparing to enact a 10-year plan to revitalize its parks, trails and open spaces.

One of the most important parts of the plan is its goal of protecting natural resources, including healthy air, streams and green spaces, according to parks and recreation professional Heather Cuyler.

To address this issue, the plan outlines steps such as educating residents and businesses on conservation efforts, developing a sustainable operations plan for the Hampton Community Center and using shade tree planting and rain gardens.

The plan, which will be posted online, also seeks to make the pond in Hampton Community Park more accessible to better serve the community. Cuyler called it a “hidden gem.”

Cuyler is a recreation planner for Pashek + MTR, a community planning firm that the township worked with to develop its Comprehensive Recreation, Park and Open Space Plan. She noted that while the plan is relatively sweeping, it’s not “designed to happen overnight,” and various ideas can change based on funding methods or demographic changes.

Hampton Township Council members said at their April 12 meeting that they plan to host a public meeting, potentially in May, so that residents can give their thoughts on the plan before council votes to adopt it. Cuyler said there also have been opportunities for public input through a survey, forums and a booth set up at the Hampton Farmers Market.

From this community engagement, Cuyler said she discovered that Hampton residents learned about and used Hampton’s trails and parks a lot more during the covid-19 pandemic, and they “are realizing the health and wellness and economic benefits of parks and recreation.”

The plan is split into three phases. The first includes tree planting as well as upgrading accessible restrooms and playground equipment. The second phase moves into building a multi-purpose turf field, while the third involves improving the Rachel Carson Trail.

“Some low-lying fruit, maybe some tree planting, the accessibility, the signage, and then you move further into some of the enhancements of the ball fields and different amenities,” Cuyler told council.

Other goals of the plan include establishing more community partnerships with nonprofits, the school district, sports teams and more. The plan seeks to increase special needs, senior and community programs, and there also is an objective to construct more Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant parking and viewing areas for pavilions, sports fields and play areas.

“As these different organizations continue to expand and change, it’s really important to have contracts in place and policies to expand diverse and inclusive recreation programs and enhance your already wonderful parks, facilities and accessibility,” Cuyler said.

Also in the plan is a goal to expand connectivity by implementing a series of walking and biking routes in the township and putting up more signs for branding.

“Some of the signage is just to alleviate confusion, especially via visitors coming into the park and for safety,” Cuyler said. “People are walking the Rachel Carson trail and end up in the park.”

At the April 12 meeting, Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, also suggested that council decrease the budget for construction at Hampton Community Park to about $427,000. Lochner said the trail would still be installed, but they’d cut out putting up light fixtures.

The park project’s second phase calls for construction of 2,285 feet of trail to loop around the back of Hampton Community Center, according to the township’s website. The initial phase involved nearly 3,900 feet, connecting the Rachel Carson Trail at the northernmost end of the park with the playground at the center.

Last month, community services department director Kevin Flannery reported that all bids received came in much higher than the township’s estimate of $480,000 to $500,000 for the project. The lowest of the four bids was $655,000, while the highest was $1.1 million. Lochner previously said the scope of the project is “probably not realistic for the budget that we have in play.”

Council will vote on the proposal at its April 27 meeting, along with whether to advertise for bids for a tennis-pickleball courts rehabilitation project. Lochner said the project, which has a $200,000 budget, includes repairing cracks and laying a new top surface. He added that he’d like to start construction in August and finish in before the Hampton High School boys tennis team season starts.