By Elizabeth Richards
A draft of the Windham Open Space Master Plan has been completed, and is available on www.windhamopenspace.com for public comment through Dec. 4.
A series of videos that summarize the plan and
three specific policy areas are now available on the website along with the
draft plan.
The plan’s Executive Summary says,
“Windham is fortunate to have acquired over time, a large network of open space
properties that have become significant assets to the community. This Open
Space Master Plan highlights the importance of these assets to the community
for both the recreational and environmental benefits, while also serving as a
guide for the management and enhancement of the open space network in Windham.”
According to Windham Planning
Director Amanda L. Lessard, part of the motivation for the Open Space Master Plan
was concern about preserving Windham’s rural places. 
Windham Planning Director Amanda L. Lessard
reviews open space maps for the town in
conjunction with the release to the public of a
new draft Open Space Plan. The initiative
identifies four activity centers and two
additional rural character preservation zones
for Windham, focusing on the conservation
of rural character and rural functions going forward.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
“There was a lot of concern about
development happening in rural areas…the plan focuses a bit on these rural
protection areas and what the town should be doing in those areas,” she said.
In June, Lessard discussed the specific
importance of rural areas to Windham in general during an interview with The
Windham Eagle newspaper.
“Rural character is central
to Windham’s identity as a community. Being proactive about open space in the face
of strong residential growth pressures will help preserve community character
and ensure that Windham’s most important open spaces will remain available for
future Windham residents,” she said.
Thinking
about how to best manage and develop Windham’s current open spaces will add
value for today’s residents, Lessard said.
The draft plan identifies four
activity centers and two additional rural character preservations zones, where
the focus is on conservation of rural character and rural functions.
It outlines current open spaces
that exist in the town, discusses challenges and constraints around these
spaces, and identifies priorities and opportunities for these spaces. Three main policy recommendations were made
including to acquire new properties and develop new facilities; to improve
existing properties and open space assets; and to update policy and practice. In
the draft plan, each recommendation is followed by specific goals.
COVID considerations have made
people more eager to identify recreational areas.
“We’ve seen an uptick in
activity,” Lessard said.
The process of developing an open
space plan has made people more aware of what open space already exists in
town, Lessard said.
Many people have asked questions
about where in the area they can participate in specific activities, not
realizing those activities are already available right in Windham, she
said.
“This is a good opportunity to
raise awareness of what is out there,” Lessard said.
One of the recommendations
centers around signage and wayfinding, she added.
Lessard said that the plan will
be an easily accessible source of information about anything related to open
space, whether for conservation or active recreation.
Looking
at open space planning now will provide Windham with an opportunity to assess
where the town is currently, where the community would like to go and how it
might eventually get there, Lessard said.
She said
that this type of planning assists in the protection of important open space
and will be used to encourage compatible growth in the future by managing
aspects of growth and development in ways that preserve, protect, and enhance
the environment, along with exposing potential problems and conflicts while
there is still time to prevent them from arising in the future.
The deadline of Dec. 4 was given
to allow the committee time to incorporate suggestions into the final version
of the plan, Lessard said.
“We still want to hear from the
public after that, but we’re trying to work towards a date where we can have a
final draft to present to the council,” she said.
Comments can be posted directly on the
website. <
