Linking City Meadow with a renovated Robertson Plaza

by David Beers

The next phase of construction to complete the City Meadow Park in downtown Norfolk was approved by the Planning and Zoning Committee (P&Z) at its Jan. 12 meeting. With approval already in hand from the Inland Wetlands Agency earlier in the month, the town’s City Meadow Committee is now ready to move ahead this spring to seek bids for construction slated for summer and fall.

The plan, which was prepared by Bob Gilchrest, of Allied Engineering Associates, Inc., of North Canaan, calls for a series of stairs and decks that will directly connect a renovated Robertson Plaza to the City Meadow boardwalk. Molly Ackerly, head of the City Meadow Committee, says that the project “will be as much to improve Robertson Plaza into a more useful and inviting space as it is to connect downtown to City Meadow.”

The composite deck overlooking the pond that was built last year is a harbinger of things to come. From Robertson Plaza, three sets of stairs with two small decks will bring pedestrians down the 30-foot drop to the City Meadow boardwalk. The new stairs will provide easy access from downtown to the park and make the park an attractive and welcoming place to visit.

The size of Robertson Plaza will be doubled by the addition of a deck over the bank at the top of the stairway connector. In recognition of the plaza’s history, the existing fountain will be kept but moved closer to the Royal Arcanum building, and the current benches will be moved to different locations. New lighting, which will provide nighttime ambiance and security, will include both overhead lights and small low-level down-lighting around the plaza, on the stairs and on the decking. Movable tables and chairs will be available for gathering and socializing. Native deciduous shade trees and groundcover will be planted in the plaza center, and native flowering trees will line the outside edge. There will also be plantings of native shrubs to attract birds and butterflies. The western edge of the deck extension of the plaza will have a long bench with a vertical garden of native vines above it screen off the buildings and the parking behind it. In addition, there will be bike racks and free Wi-Fi. 

To ensure proper drainage, each of the plaza shade trees will have a 10 x 10 foot planting pit consisting of a central 5 x 5 foot planting bed surrounded by permeable pavers. Most of the surface water in the plaza will drain into these tree pits to recharge the groundwater. Any excess storm water will go into surface drains. The slope under the decking and stairs will be stabilized with stone mulch to prevent erosion.  

In response to a question at the P&Z meeting, Gilchrest, who will be in charge of project oversight, said that all efforts would be made to allow for vehicle and pedestrian traffic to move smoothly through Station Place during the construction.

The estimated cost of the entire project is $600,000 to $700,000. Just as with the initial phase of the project, all the funding is coming from grants and private donors, with no taxpayer funds being used. 

Gilchrest sees the new Robertson Plaza as the town’s welcoming outdoor hub, a place where folks can hang out and events can be held. As he pointed out at the P&Z meeting, and the members of the commission agreed, the changes to the plaza and the new connection between downtown Norfolk and City Meadow fit perfectly with the guiding principles of the town’s 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development, especially the goal of creating a stronger village center with easy pedestrian access to different parts of town.

Good design of community spaces can nurture civic fibers that will weave into a network of social support. The pandemic has created a lonely year of social isolation and social hypervigilance. This outdoor space could provide the balm Norfolk needs after a year of diminished relationships and community.