Pittsfield Parks Weighing Commercial Enterprises Policy
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission will look at a range of criteria when weighing requests for proposals related to commercial vendors within the public park system.
The discussion has been prompted by a request to install a coffee kiosk at the Common on East Street. The commission approved moving forward with an RFP for the kiosk but with the condition that a subcommittee work with Parks and Open Spaces Manager James McGrath on developing a broader policy.
"If we're going to start opening public land to private enterprises we should have some type of policy, we did it with the beer garden, setting up a policy, we should set up a policy for this type of venture, too," said Commissioner Clifford Nilan at Wednesday's meeting.
Todd Fiorentino approached the commission in January about opening Poseidon Coffee, a small kiosk to sell coffee and hot cocoa drinks during the morning hours at the park. The kiosk would be near the sidewalk and removed during the winter months.
McGrath said the process was a little backward because it had been prompted by the proposal, to which the commission had to respond. That would be done through a request for proposals outlining the commission's requirements for this specific venture.
"I was asked to investigate what it would take to move this forward and this is what I'm presenting to you tonight," said McGrath. "If the desire from the commission is to not entertain this, that's fine, but there is a process. ...
"Policy is always good because you can lean on policy to take some of the questions out of proposals."
Commissioner Joseph Durwin thought the commission needed to take a broader stand than just on the coffee kiosk. "We have two kinds of issues: do we agree in allowing commercial concession in parks in general and then there's the specific proposal," he said.
While there had been some hesitation at January's meeting about commercial access, the commissioners seemed more concerned on Wednesday with what type of commercial use.
"What I want to be careful of is if you set a precedent, so if we're saying we're open to the idea of a commercial enterprise being on parkland, I personally feel we should be able to review any parkland request on a case-by-case basis," said Commissioner Simon Muil.
McGrath said the commission can set minimums and maximums, such as sizes, dates of use and length of a contract, as well as consider such items as aesthetics and benefits to the community. In the case of the kiosk, the assumption is there would be at least one respondent to the RFP that would then be brought to the commission with a recommendation.
Several city staff will have an interest in the proposal through their departments and there would be a scoring sheet on the set criteria, he said. That should result in a "clear winner" that would be recommended to the commission.
"This commission holds the final decision on anything," McGrath said.
Muil though the commission had in effect already opened the door to commercial enterprises and his main concern was getting a policy in place for guidance. Commissioner Anthony DeMartino agreed, saying there have been commercial vendors in some of the parks, but as long as the commission had the final say.
"This request for proposals would be for the coffee kiosk but we need to be mindful that there may be other ventures," said McGrath. "We want to be mindful at the outset that there may be great ideas but we want to see how those develop."
In other business, McGrath updated the commission on Clapp Park, saying the survey was being completed and he hoped to bring a plan and the landscape artists to the commission's April meeting and then have meetings with abutters.
The city received a $400,000 state Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities grant that is being matched with a combined $210,000 from the Rotary Club of Pittsfield and the Buddy Pellerin Field Committee to renovate Clapp Park.
The biggest part of the project is a splash pad, similar to the one at the Common and largely being funded by Rotary, along with relocation of the basketball court, the addition of a small parking lot, improvements to the high school baseball field, and the construction of new accessible pathways and walking trails.
McGrath said the monies must be spent within fiscal 2018 — between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. "This is a tight time frame for the project," he said.
The parks department has also submitted five project applications to the newly established Community Preservation Act Committee, which will award funding from the CPA 1 percent surcharge on property valuations above $100,000. McGrath will be presenting the projects to the committee on April 9 in City Council Chambers.
"I have high confidence that all five will receive some funding but there are a lot of great projects that have been developed and submitted," he said. "If not funded, we'll keep at it."
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