Pittsfield Releases Draft Open Space, Recreation Plan
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is soliciting feedback on a draft 10-year Open Space and Recreation Plan, with comments due by July 24.
This follows a couple of years of planning and community meetings, and the finished plan allows Pittsfield to continue seeking state grants for these types of projects.
The draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, created in partnership with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, catalogues Pittsfield's resources, environmental characteristics, and needs and articulates an action plan for the next ten years.
It was presented to the Parks Commission at its regular meeting last week, and commissioners are expected to vote on the draft next month. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath noted that any endorsement will be of a draft form that will go to the state for review and require letters of support.
"At the end of the day, this enunciates a vision for where we're going and what we want to do, not only in the parks, but just generally in the city, relative to the environment, and how we manage our important ecological property," he said.
"This sort of sets the stage for how we develop responsibly into the future, so it is that important."
The four main goals of the draft OSRP:
- Goal 1: Protect, preserve and maintain natural resources to maximize the amount, variety, and distribution of open space and water resources to maintain biodiversity and provide benefit to the public.
- Goal 2: Provide opportunities, resources, accessibility, and quality facilities for both recreation and conservation uses throughout the City.
- Goal 3: Ensure necessary funding for open space, natural resources, and park planning for the upgrade and maintenance of existing parks and to further the goals, objectives and strategies of the Open Space & Recreation Plan.
- Goal 4: Promote zoning that expands opportunities for the protection and further utilization of Open Space in both rural and downtown Pittsfield. Encourage infill development by allowing a greater variety of uses in areas zoned ‘Form Based.'
Underneath each goal are objectives and actions, as well as the project's priority, responsible party, and funding source, if any.
Pittsfield has even gotten a head start on some of the action items.
Listed under the first goal is to "work with city leadership to establish Pittsfield Lakes Commission to coordinate efforts at Richmond Pond, Onota Lake, and Pontoosuc Lake."
In May, the City Council voted to create a Lake Management Commission, and earlier this month, Mayor Peter Marchetti, Patricia Begrowicz, Donald Greg Cybulski, and Karen Riva Murray were appointed to it.
Listed under the second goal is to "renovate, as appropriate," the city's parks, schoolgrounds, and
conservation areas, with priority given to projects listed in the city's five-year capital
improvement plan, such as the Durant Park Splash Pad.
There are a couple more weeks of construction left for the splash pad, McGrath reported to the Parks Commission last week, and the piping, concrete deck, and asphalt work are coming along. The splash pad equipment is expected to arrive at the end of this month, with a hopeful July 4 operational date.
"We'll have a soft opening, but we'd like the community to come down and have a formal event, because this is a significant project for the neighborhood," McGrath said, speaking about cutting the ribbon on the splash pad.
"…This is a way for folks to cool down without having to get into a lakefront area, so this is a different way for us to provide water fun in a really safe, safe, safe way."
The first OSRP was created in 1981, and it was updated in 1994, 2009, and 2019. The 2026 plan is said to incorporate residents' needs while addressing the part that comprehensive land protection can play in making a community more resilient and prosperous in a changing climate.
Continued open space and recreation planning allows Pittsfield to remain eligible for state grant programs and to inventory the current state of conservation areas and City parks. The city began working with BRPC on this plan in 2024, beginning with a community survey, generating 286 responses.
The OSRP project was funded by the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Planning Assistance Grant Program, with additional funding from the city and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's District Local Technical Assistance program.
As part of the public input process, there were also engagement events at Ad Lib, Conte Community School, and the Froio Senior Center.
A public forum was held on March 5 at City Hall to further shape the goals, objectives, and actions. Stationed around Council Chambers were bulletin boards listing the OSRP's four major goals, objectives, and actions. Attendees placed green stickers on their preferences and made other notes.
The final step of the public process is to receive input and comments from residents about the draft OSRP.
Public comments must be submitted in writing to James McGrath, the city's Parks and Open Space Program Manager, by Friday, July 24, 2026. Comments may be emailed to parks@pittsfieldma.gov, provided in person or by mailing the Community Development Department, 70 Allen St., Pittsfield MA 01201 Attn: James McGrath.
Tags: open space, parks commission, recreation,
