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Appendix B-1

Town of Brunswick
Open Space and Recreation Task Force

APPENDIX B-1: OPEN SPACE & RECREATION TASK FORCE PROCESS

A March 1999 memo to the Town Council presented the case to appoint and Open Space & Recreation Task Force and appropriate funding for its work. The Town Council appointed members to the Open Space & Recreation Task Force in June 1999.

The Task Force began meeting on a bi-weekly basis. In the 40 months that followed the activities stated below had been undertaken:

  • reviewed existing Brunswick planning documents,
  • conducted two tours of the Town's open spaces,
  • reviewed as many open space plans from other communities as could be obtained,
  • compiled an Open Space Lending Library for task force members,
  • held discussion with open space plan preparers from Scarborough, Freeport and Augusta,
  • held a kick-off forum and produced 4-page Times Record insert #1,
  • organized ten subcommittees to do research and study issues,
  • recruited the bicycle/pedestrian advisory committee, conservation commission, recreation commission, and tree committee to assist with the process,
  • organized a school outreach committee,
  • created an open space website to report project progress and share reports,
  • held a discussion with US Fish and Wildlife service,
  • held and videotaped a nine-part community discussion series on a variety of open space topics,
  • wrote op-ed articles for Times Record on each of the community discussion topics,
  • attended a community forest conference,
  • held a task force retreat at Bowdoin College Coastal Studies center,
  • developed work plan,
  • prepared an distributed Request for Qualifications for consultants,
  • reviewed consultant submissions and selected preferred consultant,
  • prepared report on population projections,
  • prepared a series of large scale GIS-based open space and recreation maps,
  • organized the "My Favorite Brunswick!" slide presentation,
  • held discussions with leadership of Brunswick School Department, Brunswick Naval Air Station, and Bowdoin College,
  • held Open Space & Recreation Fair I to share resource inventory findings,
  • produced 2-page Times Record insert #2 to announce Fair and subcommittee/work organization,
  • held several meetings with farming interests in Brunswick,
  • held several meetings with cemetery interests in Brunswick,
  • held several meetings and conducted field work with community volunteers on scenic areas,
  • conducted a statistically-relevant mail-back open space and recreation survey,
  • held a Town Council workshop to review the results of the survey,
  • produced 2-page Times Record insert #3 to distribute the results of the survey,
  • held two dozen neighborhood meetings,
  • held five focus groups to discuss specific recreation interests,
  • produced a separate report on indoor recreation facility needs,
  • conducted a user survey a Town boat ramps,
  • completed a database of legal water access sites,
  • compiled a first-ever inventory of Brunswick cemeteries,
  • compiled an inventory of existing trails,
  • held a Priority Setting Workshop for Task Force at Bowdoin College Coles Tower,
  • held Open Space and Recreation Fair II to review draft subcommittee reports and draft open space plan,
  • produced 4-page Times Record insert #4 to announce Fair II and share draft report,
  • gave presentation on project at statewide conference by Maine Coast Heritage Trust,
  • produced bird's eye view sketch to summarize plan goals,
  • held a discussion with Rep. Bill Schneider and others on property rights,
  • gave presentation on trails at statewide conference, and
  • produced 16-page Times Record insert #5 to share final report and action plan,
  • produced reference copies for public review containing all background information.

The following documents are included in attachment B-1:

Town of Brunswick
Open Space and Recreation Task Force

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