Parks & Recreation

Leading up to the November 4 local election, the Newton Beacon asked candidates in competitive elections for mayor and city council how they would improve parks and recreation in Newton.

John Chaimanis, City Council Candidate, Ward 4 At-Large: Our kids play sports on city fields, my family and dog walk the trails at the Auburndale Cove, and we attend many cultural events. The Parks, Recreation & Culture Dept has done a good job catching up on improvements to our fields and open spaces, playground equipment and hosting fun events. A few areas I to ensure we have a robust dialog around include:

• Ensuring ongoing maintenance funds for new projects are established,
• Consider expanding summer camp programs, which currently fill up quickly. This will build community, and help working families. 
• Improve trail connectivity linking paths across Newton, and to the Charles River.
• Continue to study the fees that residents and external groups are charged to use these assets

Cyrus Dahmubed, City Council Candidate, Ward 4 At-Large: First, I’d support reestablishing a maintenance budget for our parks and open spaces separate from capital improvements to ensure our open spaces are safe for people and healthy for the planet. Continuing efforts to restore native ecosystems and natural waterways will help with this because natural systems survive well with minimal intervention, but thrive with focused and thoughtful investments that work in harmony with natural systems. I’d also encourage a thoughtful, regional strategy to the open spaces at our municipal borders, working in tandem with our neighboring communities to create mutually beneficial and accessible parks and open spaces. I’d support investments in natural outdoor play and learning spaces for young people, and efforts to improve green links between existing parks that create open space connections and improve interconnectedness for habitats and ecosystems.

Lisa Gordon, City Council Candidate, Ward 6, At-Large: Recent investments in facilities like Albemarle, Gath Pool, Burr, and McGrath have been important steps forward, but concerns remain about fees, outside use of fields, and access to restrooms—issues I am committed to resolving. These spaces are vital to community life, and we must also strengthen the recreational programs that make them such a valued part of Newton. And we have to do a better job of making these recreational spaces accessible and available to the residents who want to use them (i.e. the tennis court lights scheduled at NNHS and NSHS, the soccer nets lock/unlock system, etc).

Julie Irish, City Council Candidate, Ward 5: As residents of Newton, we are fortunate to have so many beautiful parks and green spaces that we all can enjoy. Playgrounds are a vital resource for families, and I would prioritize renovating those already on the City’s list so improvements move forward without delay. We must also invest in upgrading the condition of our athletic fields so they meet the needs of student athletes, youth leagues, and residents. At the same time, dedicated funding for ongoing maintenance is essential to keep our parks safe, clean, and usable. These efforts should include repairing or installing safe drinking water stations at our parks and recreation sites. Sustainability should guide this work, from using eco-friendly materials to protecting our many natural habitats. Newton also offers a wide range of recreational activities for all ages. I will work with the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture to strengthen and expand these opportunities so these programs serve the entire Newton community.

Josh Krintzman, City Council Candidate, Ward 4, At-Large: As Chair of the Programs and Services Committee for the past four year, I have prioritized improving our parks and recreational fields. During my time as Chair, the city has increased the maintenance budget for our fields from $75,000 to $375,000 per year. This has enabled us to bring life and vibrancy back to many fields that previously struggled during modest, inclement weather. With the adoption of the open space and reaction plan, which covers 2020 – 2027, as well as the Parks, Recreation and Culture Projects master list presented in 2023, the city now has an excellent opportunity to build on the momentum of the maintenance increase, the completion of several parks projects across the city and deliver more meaningful upgrades that reflect the community’s needs. The city should continue to expand this budget to enhance routine maintenance, ensuring that fields, playgrounds, walking trails, and athletic courts remain clean, functional, and welcoming.

Marc Laredo, Mayoral Candidate: The Parks and Recreation Department provides vital city services that bring residents together. We will create a strategic plan to review the condition of all our athletic fields, playgrounds, open spaces, and other recreational areas, including Crystal Lake. We then will implement that plan. We also will continue and enhance the successful programs that are so important to Newton residents.

Garry Miller, City Council Candidate, Ward 5: The Parks and Recreation Department is chronically underfunded, leading to parks with facilities in a poor state of repair, trails that are not fully accessible, and natural areas that have become overgrown with invasive species. In addition, there aren’t enough teams to maintain and replace our street trees. I support increasing funding to ensure the parks meet the needs and expectations of our residents.

Sean Roche, City Council Candidate, Ward 6 At-Large: There is little disagreement that we don’t have the parks and recreational facilities that we would all like. We know that we want to do more than we’re currently doing and there are plenty of good ideas. As a regular tennis player, for instance, I would love to see all public courts maintained to a playable level. But, we don’t have the money. And,. as with our roads, our parks, playing fields, and courts become much more expensive to repair when we neglect basic maintenance. Properly managed growth — see above — can increase the funds available to build and maintain the parks and open spaces we want. I’d like us to do a basic study of our parks and recreational opportunities compared to similar communities. Do we have comparable swimming facilities? Playgrounds? Basketball courts? Etc. If not, what new facilities should we be adding to our capital planning. And, I would like to see us turn our attention to the damage to our ecosystem of invasives in our public open spaces.