Work is starting on a Bayfield parks, recreation, open space, and trails master plan.
Amy Bell, principal landscape architect with Groundwork Studio in Albuquerque, was in town on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meeting with locals, including the school district, rodeo arena association, the Pine River Times and the Boys & Girls Club of Durango to get started. She described what's going into the plan to town planning commissioners Tuesday evening.
It will probably be an eight-month process with possible completion in August, Bell told the Times. The plan focus is parks, recreation, open space, and trails, but that has connections to economic development and transportation, she said.
"We're looking at it through the frame of the (town) Parks and Rec Department and what they are responsible for... We're looking at the facilities and programs that Parks and Rec has now, and evaluating what we hear from the community" about what they want, also what Bayfield has compared to state and national trends, Bell said. "In general from what I've seen of the program, it's really used by the kids in the community."
Surveys will be sent out (paper and online) with questions directed at adults, senior citizens, elementary school age kids, and teens. There will be multiple community workshops. Bell was hoping to nail down a date and time for the first workshop while she was here this week. She will continue meeting with community groups and stakeholders, and there will be a project web site.
"We're looking at doing an event called a pop-up playground - a bunch of cardboard boxes, recycled materials. Kids and families build what they want," Bell said. "It's kind of a visioning event. We've had a blast doing those. Last year we had a full pirate ship" that was created. It's a way to get local businesses involved as well, she said.
"We want to do something with the Spring Festival (Easter egg hunt) and July 4," also the summer block parties on Mill Street, as occasions to meet with people. She hopes by July 4, they will be able to present some plan options.
"Then we'll look at recommendations of what the town should do to meet the needs and how to fund it over the next 10 years."
Bell said she'll be in Bayfield at least once a month, usually for multiple days, and maybe a couple months of every other week. She said she does a lot of work in Farmington and is working on a community center in Dulce, N.M. for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe.
