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Image courtesy of Town of Norwood [Press Release, June 26, 2022]. A conceptual design for Norwood's Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park shows a park with clearings that is bordered on two sides by water, with a bridge and boardwalks.
10-16-2022 12:32am
Norwood Receives Funding for New Community Park that Overlooks Neponset River
Darlene Cancell
Editor
In a press release on Friday, October 14, 2022, officials of the Town of Norwood announced the receipt of a $717,650 state grant through the state's Land and Water Conservation Fund Program which will help fund the creation of the Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park in South Norwood. The project was one of nine that were awarded a portion of $6 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants, which were announced by the Baker-Polito Administration on Oct. 11.
The Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park, sometimes formerly referred to as the “Saints Lot” for its location behind Saint John Avenue, Saint Joseph Avenue and Saint Paul Avenue, was purchased by Norwood in 2020 using Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for Conservation and Recreation. The Conservation Commission and Board of Selectmen voted in joint session to name the park in honor of Norwood’s former Assistant Town Manager Bernie Cooper.
The nearly 7-acre lot lies next to Eliot Field and the Balch Elementary School and is bordered by the Neponset River and Hawes Brook. It is also less than a half-mile from the Coakley Middle School, Hawes Pool and Endean Park and is served by a bus route on Washington Street.
Image capture 2022 from Google Maps. At center of this arial view is the green, wooded lot to be developed into a park. The lot lies at the end of Saint John, Saint Joseph and Saint Paul avenues, and is bordered by Eliot Field, Balch Elementary School, Neponset River and Hawes Brooks.A community design process in the summer of 2021 resulted in a conceptual design and construction budget for the park. Residents overwhelmingly favored a wheelchair-accessible and natural trail design that would help visitors feel immersed in nature. The design also features green stormwater designs, river overlooks, and a nature play area and outdoor classroom on the side closest to the Balch School.
The town was previously awarded a $50,000 MassTrails grant to bring the project from a conceptual design to construction-ready plans.
Town of Norwood Conservation Planner Holly Jones stated,“We are grateful to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Department of Conservation Services for its support in awarding the grant on the state level and shepherding it through the approval process with the National Park Service,” Jones said. “We look forward to developing the Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park as a place that provides people a way to connect with nature and the neighborhood, while also protecting environmental resources in the area.”
“Protecting land and making park improvements is a priority for our Administration, and we are proud of the work we have done with our federal and municipal partners to create more of these opportunities across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to furthering our efforts on ensuring natural and cultural resources are preserved for future generations.”
About Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants
The LWCF Grant Program was established by Congress in 1964 to fulfill a bipartisan commitment to safeguard the country’s natural areas, water resources, and cultural heritage, and to provide recreational opportunities to all Americans. Using zero taxpayer dollars, the fund invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help strengthen communities, preserve local history, and protect the national endowment of lands and waters. Any municipality with an approved Open Space and Recreation Plan, as well as the Departments of Conservation and Recreation and Fish and Game, and Massachusetts federally recognized tribes, are eligible to apply for this program.
Since the program’s inception, more than $128.9 million has been directed to the Commonwealth’s parks and open spaces.
Source: "Town of Norwood Awarded Over $700,000 in Land and Water Conservation Grant Funds for Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park" [Press Release] Oct. 14, 2022, Retrieved from https://jgpr.net/2022/10/14/town-of-norwood-awarded-over-700000-in-land-and-water-conservation-grant-funds-for-bernie-cooper-riverfront-park/
