Kent moves closer to reopening Emery Park swimming pond

KENT — Despite sub-zero wind chills, Kent’s Parks and Recreation Commission is focused on summer.

At its Tuesday, Dec. 2, meeting, the Commission voted in favor of a bid to rehabilitate Emery Park’s swimming pond, bringing the town one step closer to regaining its municipal swimming facility. The Commission reviewed two RFP bids for the reconstruction of the defunct swimming pond, a stream-fed, man-made basin that has been out of use for six years. The plans call to stabilize and level the concrete deck and re-line the interior of the pool alongside other structural upgrades, as well as add aesthetic touches such as boulders along the pond’s edge.

Ultimately, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend a bid totaling $562,635 from locally-based landscape design firm Kent Greenhouse & Gardens. The Commission has already allocated $500,000 towards the project in funds from the municipal capital plan and the American Rescue Plan Act, known as ARPA.

To cover the remaining cost, the Commission has moved to transfer $100,000 previously allocated for Emery Park playground improvements to the pond project, though the Board of Selectmen must hold a town meeting to authorize the reallocation. The addition of those funds would total $600,000, leaving a $37,365 surplus to the total estimate, which includes an optional aerator to help maintain water quality.

“I’m confident on that number, that we can fund that amount, and if not, I’m happy to go stand on the side of the street with a cardboard sign,” said Parks and Recreation Director Matthew Busse jokingly, noting that if additional fundraising is needed, strong support is likely given residents’ interest in the project.

The Kent Greenhouse and Gardens bid edged out a competing estimate from Millennium Builders, which came in under $500,000 but proposed a less durable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) liner instead of the pricier Gunite construction offered by Kent Greenhouse and Gardens. Millennium also projected a completion date of late next year, while Kent Greenhouse and Gardens estimated that it would have the swimming area open by early summer 2026. Busse clarified that the date is speculative, though, and delays are always possible.

Busse thanked all involved and noted the project’s progress: “I’m happy to say that we have reached a point where now we’re making a decision on how we’re going to finally walk over towards the final steps of this goal. So this is a huge moment.”

Accessibility at Emery Park

Later during Tuesday’s meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission authorized Busse to apply for $2.4 million from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Recreational Trails grant program to expand accessibility infrastructure at Emery Park. Currently, the majority of Emery Park’s facilities, such as the playground, fields and the soon-to-be reopened swimming pond are not ADA accessible due to the park’s steep topography and uneven walkways.

Commission member Heidi Wilson outlined the plan for a handicap accessible trail that would allow for park goers with disabilities to visit those attractions. Busse added that the plans ultimately seek to connect to the camping locations further from the road and ultimately all the way to the summit of Leonard Mountain. The funding would also provide an opportunity to install accessible bathrooms.