USE INFREQUENCY

Many residents do not currently use B. Everett Hall Field. So much open playing field space can feel like a large void for residents; the most frequent response to why residents don’t use the field more frequently was that they do not feel there is a reason to go, particularly for adults and those with kids who have outgrown the playground and are not on organized sports teams.

Additionally, people perceive a general lack of quality of facilities, saying they prefer other spaces in town to recreate. Most people specifically named Forge Pond Park as a preferred alternative. Some respondents also specifically noted that there are no walking opportunities on-site, or that because they do not have walking access to the site, it discourages them from using it more. While there are sidewalks along Route 139 in the immediate vicinity of the park, sidewalks into the surrounding neighborhoods are limited.

Hanover Day

Over half of survey respondents said they visit the park only a few times a year or less. However, one reason 89% of respondents come to the field is for Hanover Day, an annual weekend-long festival that supports arts, sciences, and humanities in the community. Because of the open fields and central location, B. Everett Hall Field is a well-suited place to host this large community gathering. Hanover Day has historically used about 3.5 acres of field space, or about half of the park’s total open field space, in addition to the parking lots and the driveway in front of Sylvester School.¹ Elements of Hanover Day include vendors, a car show, carnival rides, food trucks, a 3 v. 3 basketball tournament, an outdoor concert, and fireworks. All parking is off site at nearby lots–shuttle services are provided from lots and from the senior center.

Fireworks are set off from the northern edge of the open field space. The Hanover Fire Department confirmed that trees at B. Everett Hall Field do not pose a barrier for the fireworks; the tree line is an approved “Natural Barrier” by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.²

Rating the quality of park elements