Chatham Woman Pursues Dream Of Waterfront ‘Pocket Park’

by Tim Wood

            CHATHAM --- Despite what seem to be roadblocks at every turn, Barbara Cotnam is determined that townspeople will have a waterfront park to enjoy along Ryder’s Cove.

            Cotnam is spearheading a group called Friends of Ryder’s Cove Park and has set a goal of 2012 — the 300^th anniversary of the town’s incorporation — for the creation of a park on 3.7 acres of town-owned land overlooking the Cove which was once part of the historic Marconi wireless station.

            Several years ago, officials planned a parking lot on the property to serve the nearby Ryder’s Cove town landing.  Town meeting defeated that proposal, however, and instead endorsed a park on the land. Last September, the board of selectmen endorsed the park concept, and the park and recreation commission recently followed suit. Cotnam and the Friends group have drawn up landscaping plans and cost estimates for the work.  Site work — including removing invasive species — plantings and amenities such as a pavilion are estimates to cost $128,000.

            Cotnam had hoped to apply for community preservation funds for the project.  However, a recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision disallowing CPA funds for existing recreation sites has thrown a kink into those plans.  Town Counsel Bruce Gilmore has ruled that the MCI Ryder’s Cove land, which was acquired for land conservation, wildlife preservation, passive recreation and public beach access does not qualify for CPA funding, since no CPA money was used in the 1999 purchase of the land.

            Legislation is being filed to allow CPA funds to be used on pre-existing recreation facilities, which Cotnam said will clear the way for public funding of the park.  In the meantime, she is gathering support and searching for grants and private donations for what is being referred to as the Marconi Park at Ryder’s Cove.

            “It’s a dream,” she said of her persistence in pursuing the concept.  “When I look at that property, I see a park.  I see it improving Chatham, I see it as a place for people to enjoy.”

            Currently, most of the land is overgrown with brush, scrub trees and invasive species, in contrast to the manicured lawn at the rest of the MCI property across Route 28.  With 600 feet of waterfront and a rich history — the land was among the first purchases in town by William Nickerson and hosted a tennis court, pavilion and other recreational facilities for the Marconi radio operators who worked at the station — the land is, Cotnam said, “a town treasure.”

            “I think it would be a popular place for people to relax, enjoy the water.  Right now you can’t get there,” she said.

            A portion of the property serves as parking for boat trailers and vehicles of people using the Ryder’s Cove town landing.  That area could serve as a parking lot for the park, although Cotnam acknowledged that it would be crowded during the summer, when fishermen take up most of the parking spaces.

            AmeriCorps has in the past cleared some invasive species from the land, and continuing that project might be a first step toward the park, Cotnam said.  Creating walking trails might be another phase, something that can be done with volunteers for little or no money. 

            The landscape plans drawn up by Cotnam, who is a landscape designer, show woodland and waterfront trails, both of which she said could be made accessible.  The cleared central area of the park would host a small pavilion and picnic tables, all under the shadow of the existing iron radio towers.  The structures would complement the former Marconi generator building and garage already on the site.  Signs would be installed detailing the history of the Marconi station.  The facility would add about $2,000 a year to the park and recreation department for maintenance, including mowing and tree trimming.

            Cotnam said the park would also complement the museum being planned for the former operation building across the street by the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center group.  Although small, it would have “enough space for kids to run around” and provide exquisite views that are now unavailable to the public because of the overgrowth and inaccessibility of the property, she added.

            “It would be a beautiful pocket park,” she said.  “It would make all this worthwhile to see a park there someday.”

3/19/09