Park in the Meadows, Meadow in the Park

It’s not entirely news that Riverfront Recapture purchased the only true meadow left in Hartford’s North Meadows. Or, rather, the only one that is not on a converted trash heap.

The added piece of information is what they have in mind for the park, and I’ll be honest, I procrastinated looking at the concept plan for the 60 acre addition.

Why? The parcel in the most northeastern section of Hartford has been one of my favorite areas. It’s quiet and isolated. Most of the landscape is interesting — sandy meadows, filled with butterflies in the summer. A bit more distant from the highway, there’s less noise.

As much as I respect nearly all of what Riverfront Recapture has done over the years, it was still hard for me not to worry.

Many wrong decisions have been allowed to happen in Hartford over the years, from destroying buildings that could be easily reused to turning everything into a boring and environmentally awful paved surface parking lot. My concerns would have been non-existent if we were talking about transforming something already hideous, like the parking lot sprawl at Capitol and West, the Juvenile Detention Center plunked in the middle of Frog Hollow, Constitution Plaza, or either highway. It feels like we’re often stuck between those who want to double down on the appalling infrastructure developed in the mid-to-late 20th century, and those who have a vision for a sustainable and interesting future.

The verdict: about 80% of the plan is something I love.

There will be a bridge created over Meadow Brook so that people can access the new section of the park via the existing Riverside Park trails. Without this, access would be walking through the brook (been there, done that) or walking along the railroad tracks (that’s “trespassing” and sporadically dangerous), or dependent on entering the park via Meadow Road.

Most of the proposed paths seem to follow, more or less, existing paths on the property.

Most of the existing meadow would be left as is. That had been my greatest worry, that someone would opt to turn this wild area into another dull, grass lawn, as if anyone needs more of that. If I want to see a manicured lawn I can literally go to any of the other parks in Hartford, or to a golf course.

There would be a “wetland enhancement/creation” which would take a soggy segment of the property and make it appear more intentional. I’m not saying that’s their goal, but that’s what the outcome would be, and that’s fine. Work with, not against, what you have.

What I question is the event lawn, amphitheater, and “commercial development site.” Do we need more lawns? Do we need more amphitheaters? I can point to several amphitheaters in Hartford that get next to no use, yet this is a thing people love to continue creating. Do we need commercial use here?

There would also be a fishing pier and a boat launch for rowing crew boats. These seem a bit redundant, but are at least quieter activities and can be done without negative impact.

Then there’s the development of two parking lots with ten spaces each. Half that would suffice, considering there is already a sprawling lot at Riverside Park by the boathouse and more parking lot sprawl at Charter Oak Landing.

The plan is not horrifying, but there’s room for improvement. I hope for reduced parking and thoughtful landscaping and construction that reduces run-off from automobiles into the Connecticut River, along with a nice visual fence of trees and other vegetation that make it so people enjoying the park don’t have to look at cars.

Here’s hoping this is used for quiet recreation 99% of the time. The meadow really is a gem.

All of the photos in this post were taken in Riverside Park, but none show the new parcel. You can view a pic of the park addition here.