Dear Friends, 

Welcome to the spring newsletter of Friends of Albemarle! 

When sports teams and forsythia pop out on the field, and Avery Woods gets leafy once again…it must be spring. Spring!

Well, this is one action-packed spring at Albemarle, and I’m not talking sports. 

We’ve got updates on redesign of the fields and the pool, both of which will be discussed online this coming Tuesday May 3 at a Community Meeting from 6-9pm. Register here to attend. Before Tuesday, check out the plans linked below so you have an informed perspective.

We’ve also got an exciting update on badly-needed traffic calming initiatives at Albemarle. Yay!

But first….

Metal Surfaces Needed

Psssst – I’ve got something crazy to tell you. There are still cars driving around out there without a Friends of Albemarle magnet! I KNOW! How? Why? 

If you know of cars in this awkward position (or mailboxes, or anything else), just buy them a Friends of Albemarle Magnet: Visit the side-door foyer of 29 North St. in Newton, leave $5 per magnet in the mail slot and take the number of magnets you’ve paid for. Please show your support for this treasured green space of ours. 

Annual Meeting

It’s time for our second annual meeting! Join us to discuss the work of our nonprofit now and in the near future.

Meet us at the Field House at Albemarle from 4-5pm on Saturday, May 21. 

Please email us at friendsofalbemarle@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Initial Results Are In

Last month, more than 1,500 Albemarle users completed a detailed use survey about the park. The data is in and an initial draft is ready to be shared. 

Check out the draft presentation. We expect more context and info to be added over time. Highlights:

• Pool, fields, lighting, playgrounds and safer walking and biking are all leading priorities for the area
• Strong agreement from users that planning should include mitigating effects of climate change

What are your thoughts on these results? Email us and let us know.

4 Options: Field Reconfiguration

Newton worked with consulting firm Weston & Sampson to develop 4 options for the field. The urgency to redesign now is to replace the lights – costly and badly needed.

An excerpt of their presentation is posted to our blog – including all 4 options.

Or, view the full presentation. There are many changes, and we’re excited to potentially see a turf multi-use field coming to Albemarle as well as a U-12 soccer field. Option C keeps the hard courts near Day, which uses them daily in the fall and spring. (What was a tennis court is now pickleball courts.)

Visit the project website here. Send any additional questions, comments or concerns to athleticfields@newtonma.gov  

Gath Pool Planning

Several key steps have been taken to create a final plan for Gath Pool. 

You can see the excerpted design here on our blog. Or, view the full presentation.

As a reminder, the core themes are: More lanes, Zero entry, Extended pool deck, Eating/drinking area, Kiddie pool integrated into design, More passive play space and a splash pad, Greater accessibility, More independent private gender neutral space….and don’t forget functionality – it won’t leak thousands of gallons a day anymore.

We think this final design allows for thoughtful recreation space that takes a vast amount of users into consideration, as well as an exciting competitive pool area. Our Advocacy for an Indoor Pool on CIP Was Heard In March, the FoA board wrote a letter urging the City Council and Mayor to put an indoor pool on the CIP and to move forward with plans to make a great outdoor pool at Albemarle, and were glad to hear that this path has been followed. An indoor pool has been added to the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan, or list of projects needed for the city) – for the first time, that we know of – as a feasibility study. Read it here:https://friendsofalbemarle.wordpress.com/2022/03/24/letter-to-all-city-council-and-parks-rec-commission-membersOur proposal is to build an indoor pool as part of an addition at Newton South High School, thereby creating greater equality between the two schools and easing the heavy use a bit on Newton North, which we hope can be made available to offer indoor swim options for residents.
Why not build an indoor pool at Albemarle? We would welcome that, as long as it accompanied an outdoor pool. However, it needs to go through the proper channels to get funded, and that process hadn’t been started (until now). The potential funding for an outdoor pool at Albemarle comes from the CPC (Community Preservation Committee) which can only cover outdoor recreation. In addition, there may be other places for an indoor complex that offer more parking and flood protection (like South).

Traffic Calming

Albemarle is not safe for walkers or cyclists, and backing out blindly into the road always feels a little risky. Newton’s Department of Transportation is focusing on the area.  Check out the March 10 presentation of a thoughtful design plan to use flex posts, speed bumps, and paint to manage traffic flow – including back-in parking.  Website and resources 

Funding to put lights at the Crafts/Albemarle intersection is in place and scheduled for summer 2025. That will help. Next, we must find a way to get people to stop running red lights at North/Crafts so that people can cross to get to the park without regular “close calls.” (Yes, my fourth grader had to wait last weekend to cross as a *school bus* flew through a fully red light at that intersection.)

Newton Police Accident data – YTD

The Bridge – We still have a temporary bridge over Cheesecake Brook and there is talk of another one being built eventually. What do you think of it? 

The NECP Preschool -Construction continues on the new school at Albemarle. The project is on track to be completed by Nov 2022. 

Join Us!

It’s free and easy to join Friends of Albemarle so please encourage your friends and neighbors to become members today. Please forward this newsletter and let’s get to 1,000! 

*But only sign up if you’re not listed on this page.

A Nice Drone’s-Eye View of Albemarle

Zoom in! Do you see you? Do you see me? No, me either. But I do see a cool yellow car.

https://friendsofalbemarle.wordpress.com/2022/04/26/drones-eye-view-of-albemarle

Monday March 21: 7pm  
Albemarle Master Plan and Gath Pool
Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting 

Near the beginning of the meeting, PRC will present updated information on the Albemarle Master Plan as well as the connected option of the new Gath Pool designs. This includes a splash pad where the tennis courts currently stand and two pools that connect to each other. Public comment may not be allowed (or it might), but observing the meeting, and then emailing or calling your elected officials once you’re informed is always a good way to voice feedback.

Zoom info:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88119712594

Meeting details including agenda:

https://www.newtonma.gov/government/parks-recreation-culture/park-recreation-commission/agendas-minutes-and-records/commission-meeting-info

Monday March 30: 7pm
Gath Pool Redesign
Newton Design Review Committee Meeting 

Attend this meeting to hear more in-depth discussion about the current proposed design for Gath.

Zoom info:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88484697005?pwd=OVV1UVd2UEc4Uy9GSDJMbGpYTjBSUT09