DEM considers auto access to Rocky Point

John Howell
Posted 9/10/15

Money is a big part of it, but so also is proper planning for the future.

Those messages were loud and clear Tuesday evening as Lisa Primiano, acting chief of planning and development for the …

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DEM considers auto access to Rocky Point

Posted

Money is a big part of it, but so also is proper planning for the future.

Those messages were loud and clear Tuesday evening as Lisa Primiano, acting chief of planning and development for the Department of Environmental Management, addressed a meeting of the Rocky Point Foundation, a small group that lobbied to have the state acquire more than 80 acres of the former amusement park.

Voters approved an open space and recreation bond in 2010 used about two years later to buy the property from the Small Business Administration, the bankruptcy court appointed receiver, for $9.8 million.

“We have a new park, but no new money to manage the park,” Primiano told the group.

Nonetheless, $200,000 has been budgeted to develop a park master plan. Also, Primiano is exploring the feasibility of opening a portion of the park to vehicular access, especially to enable handicapped access.

Under consideration is opening what were the park exit gates on Palmer Avenue so people could park in what was formerly the Palladium parking lot. That lot was successfully used during the movie nights hosted by the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.

Opening of the lot would negate the need for additional parking outside the park fence, which had been considered, and eliminate parking on Rocky Point Avenue and Palmer Avenue as happens when the existing lot is full. Primiano said she is looking at installing guardrails to the lot that would prevent people from driving further into the park or across park fields.

“No one wants to keep the gates closed,” she said.

Before any action, Primiano said DEM wants to hear issues raised by the city and coordinate efforts. She praised the city for doing more than its share of park maintenance, including mowing the field that has replaced the Midway.

“The city has carried the ball and done yeoman’s work,” she said.

Issues with opening an inner parking lot that need to be worked out include days and times the gates would be open and who would be responsible for seeing that happens.

As for a master plan, Primiano said she is drafting a request for proposals, or RFP, that would be advertised later in the fall. She assured development of a plan would include public input, and possibly a forum and a steering committee.

Providing updates, Primiano said two composting toilets should be installed shortly at the park, and that 10 percent of design work for a new park pier has been completed. She described the pier as primarily a fishing pier, with the possibly floating docks that would allow for boaters to tie up. The work done thus far on the pier includes test borings to determine seabed conditions. As the dock is on city-owned land, DEM would be working closely with the city in the planning of the structure.

Primiano also reported that Cardi Construction would cap a small former dump on the property not far from the Palmer Avenue park entrance. This work will require the removal of some vegetation and a clean fill cover about two feet thick. She said the old dump poses no threat, but it was never properly closed.

City principal planner Dan Geagan said the city is working on a limited number of signs that would tell some of the park’s story and explain features saved from the amusement park, such as the foundation of the observatory tower, the swing ride tower and the arch.

Chamber president Lauren Slocum said the movie nights attracted larger crowds than expected. She put the cost of the shows at $4,000 each, which was paid through sponsorships. She hoped the family-oriented movie nights could be repeated next summer, adding a hint of intrigue when she said she had some other ideas, but they weren’t ready for announcement.

Park trash that has been of concern to many was also brought up. Primiano said DEM’s policy of “carry-in, carry-out” has been effective in other state parks. Yet at Rocky Point, the city provides trash barrels inside the park as well as in the parking lot. During the summer, the city empties the barrels at least once a day, every day.

Even so, overflowing barrels and trash discarded on the property are problems. It was thought that signage could help.

Comments

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  • mthompsondc

    Spent several hours in that dump in the 1970s. Glad to see it finally will be taken care of!

    Thursday, September 10, 2015 Report this

  • jfraser

    Don't open it up to cars. It will turn into what Goddard Park is on summer weekends - a cacophony of competing car stereos. Let's keep it a place where people can go for some peace and quiet.

    Friday, September 11, 2015 Report this

  • bendover

    Not to worry, Gov. "Raimondi" will put in a toll booth and let Don Lally man it it in his new $90K a year State job.

    Sunday, September 13, 2015 Report this