What was the usage of the Beach in 2008 by residents and non-residents?
212 Resident passes were issued
- 92 adult $2760
- 120 youth $1920
23 non-resident passes were issued
- 7 Adult $350
- 16 youth $480
6 day passes issued $30
Total Income: $5540
Total Passes 241
What does it cost the town to maintain and staff the beach?
Currently, the town loses roughly $40,000 a year to operate the beach for 10 weeks. It is open June 22 through Aug. 23, from 12–5 pm, seven days per week.
Our plan would not only keep the facility open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, but it would also let members utilize the facility from 9am to dusk. This would attract more users and generate additional revenue for the facility.
What will it cost to maintain and staff the beach, and how much of this cost will be covered by membership fees?
Maintenance of this facility would fall under Winchester Recreation’s budget. The new splash park and playground would incur less than $4,000 in yearly operating costs, which we believe would be covered by additional membership fees. No additional staff would have to be hired (the splash park is zero-depth which means no lifeguard is needed).
What is your budget for the project?
We aim to complete the project for less than $300,000. Take a look at the budget. More detailed info about the specifics of the budget can be found in our proposal which can be downloaded from our member's site.
Is there grant money available to fund some portion of this project?
To date, we’ve applied for 22 grants, but the major grant we are working on is from the State Department of Conservation, which is targeting water-based accessible resources and would reimburse 54% of the budget, up to $500,000. What is wonderful about this grant is that some of the Town’s targeted upgrades to Borggaard Beach (that are already on Winchester's capital planning budget), such as repairing the roof of the bathhouse, paving, and fencing, may be added to our grant application. If granted, these items would, in effect, be covered at a 54% savings to the Town. We have a strong fundraising team in place working on this grant.
Do you have any Corporate Sponsors yet?
- On August 15th, FAN is hosting a Beach Party fundraiser at Borggaard beach, and Sven Andersen and the Andersen Team are our first sponsors for that event.
- Winchester Community Savings Bank is a sponsor.
- Mahoney’s Garden Center of Winchester generously offered to provide landscape design and installation assistance.
- Whole Foods has generously offered FANSplash the ability to take part in their 5% day program, where 5% of their proceeds from a day are donated to our project.
- Carole Kitchen and Bath is generously donating 5% (up to $250) of all kitchen cabinet orders from customers that mention FANSplash.
Will you be receiving any money from the town toward this project?
We are not expecting any money from the Town, though some of the improvements that are already on the Town’s Capital Planning schedule (roof repairs, paving) would be beneficial to our progress. Our hope is that we will be awarded the DCR grant so that we help the Town complete these improvements quicker and for roughly 1/2 the cost.
Where is the town on this? If FAN can raise the money to do this, is the town on board to support and make it happen?
So far the response has been very positive. We are following the proper protocol and procedures, which will in the near future include submitting a letter of intent to the conservation commission and holding a public hearing, among other steps. Roger Berman, Town Selectmen, has been a wonderful supporter and is guiding us through this process.
- Town Selectmen - we officially presented our proposal this spring and received positive response and encouragement as well as guidance on areas we should focus on. We will be meeting with them again as soon as we have a final design proposal.
- Town Council – we met with Mr. Wade Welch about liability and gifting issues, who thought we have a realistic time frame and gave us approval to officially collect funds for the project. This meeting was also attended by Roger Berman, Town Selectman, and Betsy Cregger of the Planning Board.
- Winchester Recreation - Chris Nelson is working with us to coordinate with town departments.
- Conservation Commission - the Borggaard Beach proposal was discussed at their meeting on May 12th and they were asked for input on issues we should address before we file the necessary letter of intent. They were supportive of the project, no red flags were raised and they were generous with offering to help us obtain information needed to complete the DCR grant application. Their major recommendation was to maintain a 20’ perimeter around the wetlands and use native plants for landscaping.
- Engineering Department - Jay Gill has been consulted and he will give us energy assessment information for the beach, as well as estimates for paving the driveway between the tennis courts and bath house.
- Disability Access Commission – we have received their endorsement and Jean Batty of the Commission is on our Splash Park Design Committee.
- Parent’s Advisory Committee – the proposal was presented at their meeting on May 13th where the topic was "summer fun for children with disabilities." They were very supportive of the proposal and a member is on our Fundraising Committee.
- School Committee Chair Michael Schindelman is on the Splash Park committee, and is working with us on the design process.
- Energy Commission - George Wood will be advising us on our efforts to implement sustainable methods for energy production.
- Field and Recreation Commission - Rich Macneille, who is also on the town’s Field Management Committee, is on the Splash Park committee helping to facilitate town interactions, such as meeting with the town’s Traffic Advisory Committee and capital planning department.
- Jason Lewis, State Rep, has offered his endorsement and assistance.
- Planning Committee - though this project is not in their purview, they are supportive of the concept and its fit within Winchester’s Master Plan.
- Thom Mystic Early Intervention - provided their official endorsement on May 14th, 2009.
What are the design and planning steps?
The timeline for design and construction of the Borggaard Beach project is between 2 and 12 months. Our committee will fulfill the design and planning steps while concurrently conducting our capital campaign. After receiving necessary funding, the park can be built within a two month time period. Therefore, we hope to raise the necessary funds by April of 2010 in order to have the project completed by June of 2010.
Step 1 Permits and bylaw requirements. This step includes requesting Town Selectmen approval, coordinating with Winchester Field Committee, Conservation Commission, & Engineering Department and presenting plan to public hearing. This stage also includes considering components, theme and water supply choices. Fundraising efforts begin.
Step 2 Final component selection submitted to supplier.
Step 3 Site drawings with services identified and grading plan submitted to supplier by local engineer or Landscape Architect.
Step 4 Proposed designs drawn up by supplier, including a concept layout, conceptual pad layout, component placement with dimensions and a piping plan.
Step 5 Complete construction drawings and engineer-stamped spray park grading plan.
Step 6 If final design is approved by a second public hearing and Board of Selectmen, then 50% deposit is sent to supplier to start production. Colors and final graphics are also submitted.
Step 7 The supplier can provide contractor with advanced shipping of anchor hardware.
Step 8 Contractor installs footing and prepares site for component installation.
Step 9 Mechanical workbook completed by Supplier for water consumption and sequencing.
Step 10 Supplier manufactures components.
Step 11 Supplier receives outstanding balance and components are shipped via ground transport.
Step 12 Contractor receives components and installation begins.
Step 13 Splash Park Grand opening, June 2010
Drawings of the proposed layout would be helpful.
These can be found on our project’s member’s website. Membership is open to anyone, so please join us. When we have the final design, we will post it as a link on our "design" page.
How will this impact parking?
Parking on Palmer and in the Beach parking lot is currently significantly underutilized, even during major tennis events. Because of this, there appears to be sufficient parking capacity in the area to support incremental activity generated by the splash park. Public transportation is also available close-by with a bus stop on Palmer. We will be meeting with TAC to develop a traffic and parking plan appropriate for the scale of this facility.
What is the quality of the water?
According to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the water quality at Wedge Pond is fine. The pond water is currently monitored by the Town, and is treated regularly to ensure safety. However, there is a persistent misconception about the water safety at the Beach. It is important to note that the splash park will be supplied by separate, potable water well, so if one is uncomfortable with the pond water, they should have no worries about their children using the splash pad. As part of the planning process for the splash park, we will have the water well tested again, but as of last summer, the water department rated it as “clean drinking water”.
The splash park may also have a positive impact on cleanliness at the Beach. Since it will be open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, we may have to erect a temporary fence along the pond for safety purposes during non-summer hours; this would likely stop geese from coming onto (and littering) the beach.
Will this project cause Winchester residents to pay higher membership fees?
To date, there has been no discussion about raising resident membership fees, though fees would likely rise for non-residents, and a cap would be placed on the number of non-resident passes that would be sold.
Would the number of non-resident passes be limited in number, and would Winchester residents receive priority?
We are still in the process developing this protocol but, yes, Winchester residents would be given priority, most likely by giving residents advance notice to purchase passes. Based on the residents’ response, we would then determine the number of non-resident passes to issue, taking into consideration beach capacity and operating costs.
Will you be updating the beach house as well?
The beach house roof is already slated to be repaired as part of Winchester’s Capital budget. We would like to add a private family changing room and snack bar, and hope to install a Solar panel on the roof to make the facility more sustainable and reduce overall operating costs.
What types of donations do you take (is there a minimum)?
We appreciate donations of any amount and also would be glad to accept in-kind donations.
How will it be useable “year round”?
From Memorial Day to Columbus Day, the Splash Park, Playground and Tennis area will be open. During the winter months, we are investigating the feasibility of an ice skating rink. In any event, the facility will offer a variety of recreational activities for more months of the year than the current/past Borggaard schedule.
What other successful projects have you worked on?
Major Projects
Winchester Eco Festival, October 2008 - Elizabeth Angelino was overall Chair and Andrea Cox was Chair of Logistics. The festival's mission was to showcase the concept of "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" through our children's activities, dynamic exhibits, workshops, unique recycling opportunities and stimulating speakers. It fostered public awareness about opportunities for environmental change and it is hoped that the event inspired community members to make their homes, businesses and town more ecologically advanced and environmentally sound, while also encouraging activism and volunteerism.
The Eco Festival attracted more than 3,000 attendees and included 100 exhibitors and sponsors. It required coordination with town officials, local and national non-profits and businesses and the building of a strong base of volunteers.
We were pleased to present the opportunity for non-profit organizations, schools, and local businesses to come together to present their environmental message, involvement and programs to an audience of concerned Winchester residents.
Our Core Programming
The Family Action Network (FAN) is a 15 year old non-profit organization which seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas, to provide parenting resources and to offer a support network for Winchester families with infants and small children. FAN accomplishes these goals by implementing programs such as playgroups, children's events (like Kid’s Olympics on Town Day), and parent social events and serve as a comprehensive resource, acting to unify Winchester's programming for families. FAN's community outreach program implements initiatives focused on bringing families together to work on community building and charitable initiatives that help to teach children the importance of giving to others.
What types of volunteers are you looking for?
Fundraising Committee
This Committee would appreciate help in raising money needed for project. This includes:
- Sending out business mailings;
- Seeking sponsorships and grants;
- Encouraging resident participation;
- Once sponsors are secured this committee ensures they receive all their sponsor benefits.
Events Committee
This team will work on events, like being at the Farmer’s Market Non-profit table to promote the splash park for the 2 days we reserved it this summer (July 18 and August 15), as well as on Town Day, June 6th. We are hosting a major fundraiser on August 15th - the Borggaard Beach party. Other than the events listed above, the sky’s the limit on what you can do and organize!
Publicity Committee
This committee will develop promotional materials, banners, signage, and press releases. This committee will publicly recognize any major donors, in the media, and so on.
Areas we could use help on:
- Writing Press Releases;
- Updating information on various internet sites like Big Tent, face book, MySpace, twitter;
- Looking for new media outlets;
- Disseminating printed material around town.
Volunteer Recruitment
We are looking for a Volunteer Coordinator that would help seek out volunteers, but mainly help find the best fit for new volunteers who sign up.
Website
This committee is responsible for maintaining the www.fansplash.org website.
Did something go out in our school newsletter? Preschool newsletters?
Yes, information was disseminated to most of Winchester’s public schools. We also provided each Winchester preschool and St Mary's School a color flyer which provided information about the project and our upcoming Borggaard Beach party fundraiser on August 15th.