Residents to help determine Longshore improvements
WESTPORT — An online survey is now available for Westport residents to voice their opinions about the Longshore Club Park facilities and its upcoming improvements.
The survey launched May 24 and will gather input from residents through June 14 to help town officials craft the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan.
“Longshore is a beautiful park — one that is widely used and visited by residents and guests,” First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker said in a statement. “As a hallmark of our community, residents’ feedback in its future planning is essential.”
She said the plan “will provide a necessary roadmap as we proceed with enhancing one of our town’s greatest assets.”
The town is using Santec — a landscape architect, planning and engineering firm — for the project,
Director of Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fava said in a news release.
Fava said that the firm will “bring creativity and broad-based thinking to develop recommendations for replacement, relocations and/or enhancement of existing facilities and potentially new facilities for Longshore Club Park.”
A website has also launched, which will host information about the project as it progresses. The which was sent to residents through the parks and recreation department’s database, is also available through the website.
According to the project’s website, Longshore Club Park sits on 168 acres on the cost of the Long Island Sound and features a golf course, parks and recreation offices, parks maintenance staff and equipment, The Inn at Longshore, tennis courts, a winter ice rink, and the Longshore Sailing school.
The improvements will likely address a number of things.
“Improvements to traffic flow, parking, and pedestrian circulation; the needs of recreation enthusiasts and stakeholders; and trends and sustainable best practices in park offerings will be paramount,” the website said.
Input from people who use the park and other stakeholders, along with town staff, boards and commissions will influence the
final capital improvement plan for Longshore Club Park, according to the plan’s website.
“It is important to look at the park in its entirety to determine how to accommodate identified needs and determine what may or may not be feasible,” the website also says.
The Longshore Club Park imsurvey,
provement was originally announced in March, alongside consideration for a $223.8 million budget.
More information and public input opportunities will become available as the project continues into the fall.