Pros: • Gathering spaces are versatile and could also be used as outdoor classrooms. • Takes advantage of views and highlights along the path. • Includes sidewalks and/or bike lanes along Plain Street. Cons: • Steep slopes may constrain trail path near the Park Street wetland. • Crossing the Holly Circle wetland would involve about 400 feet of boardwalk. • Passes through ecologically sensitive areas.
This design uses existing infrastructure to access the school site. Pros: • Avoids all open space and wetland areas. • Least permitting and fewest environmental constraints. • Takes advantage of existing sidewalk along Park Street. Cons: • No opportunity to experience a natural setting. • Likely to be hotter in the summer and noisier for path users. • In order to benefit people to the east, a sidewalk on Plain Street would likely still be necessary.
This design avoids some of the wetland areas while still providing access to Nonotuck Park. Pros: • Avoids Holly Circle wetland. • Less permitting required. • Connects to Nonotuck Park more directly. Cons: • Trails from Nonotuck to the fill site have to cross steep and wet terrain. • May pass through the buffer around a public well. • Has a less natural setting and fewer educational opportunities.
Would the proposed Shared-Use Nature Path benefit you or your child? Would the proposed Park Street Sidepath benefit you or your child? Would the proposed Brook Street Bike Path benefit you or your child?
DESIGN ALTERNATIVES 13
Galen Hammitt | Walker Powell | The Conway School
This design takes advantage of the open spaces and natural beauty of the proposed route.
lane along Brook Street connecting to a shared-use path through Nonotuck Park and River Valley Way to the White Brook School. Plains residents had the opportunity to review these alternatives and share their feedback in an online survey from June 1 to June 15, 2020 and at a virtual community meeting hosted on June 6, 2020.
Prepared for the City of Easthampton | Spring 2020
The following preliminary design alternatives assess the feasibility of a shared-use path through conserved open spaces as originally proposed by the 2019 Emerging Pathways document, and consider two alternative path alignments. The second alternative proposes a separated side path in place of the existing sidewalk on Park Street and Line Street. The third alternative proposes a bike
PLAINS TO SCHOOL: A Shared-Use Path for Easthampton
DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
