Cost Estimates Removed From Published Ninigret Park Plan
The Town just released the final Ninigret Park Master Plan drafted by the consultants, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB). Missing from the final version, dated March 4, 2024, is the page detailing the $33 Million cost to execute the plan.
We call on the Town Council to return the pages with cost estimates to the plan.
These cost estimates are available in the December 22, 2023, draft of the Ninigret Park Master Plan that was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The cost estimates are important not only because of their magnitude but also to bring some realism to the plan.
The final plan is little changed from the earlier draft that did have cost estimates. The image below shows the cost estimates from the earlier version. This was page 67 in the December version dated December 22, 2023, and would have been page 68 in the final plan dated March 4.
Why is Knowing the Estimated Cost Important?
The Master Plan is divided into four phases, we discuss only “Phase 2” to show how knowing cost can help in interpreting the plan. You can follow the link at the end of this post to see the entire plan with all 4 phases, but nowhere in the Master Plan will you find the cost estimates, even though the detailed map for each phase has the text “Refer to Cost Estimate Breakdown for Phase #“.
Phase 2 projects are shown in turquoise on the map from the final plan submitted by the consultant (banner image for this post). The labels are a little hard to read in the image, but they are also listed below matched to their estimated cost.
| Boxed Label On Map | Proposed Improvements | Cost Estimate (December 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 2A | In central parking area: new porous pavement; roadway berming and street trees; asphalt resurfacing and drainage | $6,233,000.00 |
| 2B | Pavement reuse or gravel in event camping area | $4,307,000.00 |
| 2C | Clearing and gravel in event open area | $828,000.00 |
| 2D | New perimeter access drive | $2,256,000.00 |
| 2E | Mounding berms and sledding hill | $170,000.00 |
| 2F | New access drive and rotary | $416,000.00 |
| 2G | Front entrance landscaping | $34,000.00 |
| 2H | Cleared park space and nature center | $50,000.00 |
| 2I | New parking areas above and below new major event space | No Estimate - might be included in 2A cost? |
| 2J | Police and EMS building for events | No Estimate |
| Total Phase 2 | $14,294,000.00 | |
| Total All Phases | $33,139,000.00 |
With a cost of $14 Million, Phase 2, the area highlighted in turquoise in the banner image for this post, is almost entirely devoted to the new major event area. Knowing the high cost of this phase, it is unrealistic to expect that the only major events that will use the new event space will be Rhythm and Roots and the Seafood Festival. The Seafood Festival has an attendance of 20,000 on Saturday, its biggest day, and Rhythm and Roots reports an attendance of 5,000 per day. The new plan has added new parking lots on both sides of the new major events area and throughout the park. These additional parking spaces will allow even larger events.
Without knowing the cost, the event space might look like a pretty open field on the plan and seem like something nice to have. But is it reasonable to spend $14 Million for the Seafood Festival? Knowing the estimated cost allows an additional dimension to the discussion.
One of the reasons for moving the Seafood Festival and Rhythm and Roots to this new area in the park is to get them farther away from the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. That is important to do as these two large festivals interfere with the nesting and migration of refuge wildlife, but the high cost ensures that there will be more summer weekends with large events and even greater negative impacts on wildlife in the National Wildlife Refuge.
There will be a Special Town Council Meeting to discuss this Ninigret Park Master Plan on April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road.
You can read the entire plan with a discussion of all four construction phases at the link below.
Click here to read the latest version of the Ninigret Park Master Plan
April 11, 2024 @ 11:37 am
Leave Ninigret park the way it is , except to make the changes to traffic and pedestrian flow, and some for appearance sake. !!!
We need the cost estimates to fully understand what is being proposed, and they are estimates by an expert, and should be presented and respected.
To say that CCA wants the Park turned over to Fish and Wildlife is a perfect example of a red herring and inuendoes, and then the writer goes on to say the CCA is the one doing that. I have NEVER heard or seen written that CCA wants to turn the park over to Fish and Wildlife. Please stop the nonsense, there is enough to do in grasping all of the real info and proposals being put forth.
The writer also fails to recognize that most of the open space he refers to has accessible and beautiful walking trails which are greatly utilized by the townspeople.
Updating the plan is a necessary thing to do, but I can not endorse it without complete info including the cost.
A few years from now some will say, “it’s in the plan so that is what the people wanted’ and we will be fighting constantly to defeat things which were not what people wanted. Therefore, lets get it right at this time.
As to the Town Survey, it was clear that the results showed that the majority of the people wanted it more or less the way it is..so lets honor that.
March 27, 2024 @ 11:22 am
The Town Council hired VHB to develop a proposed updated Ninigret Park Master Plan, to have the most input from the public, VHB held public meetings and had conversations with stakeholders for ideas of what the public would like to have in the park. The conversations included US Fish and wildlife, Army Corp of engineers and the Frosty Drew Observatory. There was a town wide survey done a few years ago and there is a section on the future of Ninigret Park so that should be read. It is important to note that all the open space properties in Charlestown do not allow ACTIVE RECREATION, Ninigret Park is one of only four places where the YOUR COMMUNITY can have active recreation, the park by far is the largest. Ninigret Park is the place for Families and Children to go to play, it is an important aspect for our children to have a place to play, whether it is at the playground or a ballgame. The town has received the PROPOSED Ninigret Park master plan, and the Town Council will be reviewing the plan for the very first time on April 15th, at 6pm, at the Charlestown Elementary School. At this time, the plan is not in its final version so any cost estimates would just be guesses. It is important to note that all future spending at Ninigret Park will be done at a Public Meeting, whether through the town budget or a town referendum. I find it ironic that the last town bond pushed by the CCA did not have the normal recreation component included. The town has spent millions on open space, but we cannot provide an ACTIVE RECREATION facility for our community. This entire process has been done with public input and total transparency. I know it is the goal of the CCA to have the town of Charlestown turn over control of Ninigret Park to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The CCA needs to change course and engage with the entire community instead of spreading innuendoes and half truths that fit there single mindness.
March 27, 2024 @ 1:59 pm
VHB’s response to the Town’s request for proposals to create a new Ninigret Park Plan specifically included cost estimates. VHB included on their team a staff member who is an expert in cost estimating and has an MBA, as well as a BS and MS in Civil Engineering. He is a Lead Cost Estimator for cities, universities, Massport, RI Airport Corporation, and the Narragansett Bay Commission. VHB’s proposal was accepted by the Town Council and they delivered a plan that included cost estimates. At least 4 pages in the plan published on the Town’s website include references to the cost estimates. The December draft included the cost estimates. Before posting on the Town’s website, the cost estimates were removed. Town Councilor “Rippy” Serra says they were removed because they are only “guesses”. No, they are not guesses, they are professional estimates. It is understood that an estimate is not an exact price, but knowing relative costs allows projects to be prioritized and also to be analyzed. As noted above in the post, knowing the high cost of phase two it is unrealistic to expect that the only major events that will use the new event space will be Rhythm and Roots and the Seafood Festival. Cost estimates matter and they should not have been removed from the plan.
March 27, 2024 @ 5:16 pm
For someone who has been in town government for so long you should know that until the Town Council accepts the Proposed plan it is not a finished plan, once the Town Council discusses the plan in a public, makes changes and votes on it, then the appropriate estimates can be deveoped.
March 15, 2024 @ 5:21 pm
Thanks for this information. It is important that people pay attention. Some efforts might be worthwhile if other funding than taxes is available, such as the removal of toxic asphalt; and working with US Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers to remove invasives and replant with native plantings. However, this would add delays and extra expense. but the Army Corps of Engineers advised notification to them is made if any disturbance is done so inspection and remedial action can be taken before there is a negative impact on health due to buried PFAS or munitions, live or otherwise. This is important to note on the plan. A plan is just that but it enshrines things into the future that might not be appropriate considering the neighboring National Wildlife area and its importance for migratory birds and other wildlife and its preservation and health. Updating a past plan with what has been done in the interim is one thing but making grandiose plans is a totally different proposal. It is incumbent on the public to take note of what is happening in town and make one’s voice heard on any issue.
March 14, 2024 @ 8:55 am
We request that Ninigret Park be left as it is without expensive and undesired changes.
If changed & developed it will never again be
the treasure that it. Our family has had a home in Charlestown since 1952 and we sincerely hope our pristine park will remain as it is.
Jane & Sam Back
March 14, 2024 @ 7:42 am
Why are the costs left off the current version of the Ninigret Park Plan? Why are the town council members proposing to spend so much money on paving? Are they building a parking lot or are they expecting to attract multiple more visitors than now utilize the park? Also, in the recent past the people now on the town council opposed a community center that they are now pushing. So much for open and transparent government.
March 12, 2024 @ 6:26 pm
Please leave Ninigret the way it is. It’s lovely, and it’s used by more than Charlestown residents and more than Rhode Islanders, so why is it that Charlestown residents have to pay the price for this? Let the taxpayers vote for this.
March 12, 2024 @ 10:29 am
Leave Ninigret the way it is! And don’t let a Town Council ram through a project lacking in support from the local community.
March 11, 2024 @ 10:03 pm
Anything of this magnitude should be voted on by Charlestown, Rhode Island Residents. The Town Counsil can state that all residents had a chance to express their feelings but the few meetings concerning budgets….etc, I have found to be run in anything but a Democratic way. Am I to understand that one person drew up the new plan? Put the new plan up for a vote which will take politics out of the final decision to move forward. Also, the many parts of the master plan should be voted on separately.
March 11, 2024 @ 6:11 pm
I have a lot of questions about phase II and moving event space. Both the seafood festival and R & R run smoothly and are just fine. Way too much money for this. Cost benefits don’t match up for a town that does not want more big events.
March 11, 2024 @ 5:50 pm
can we leave this wonderful resource alone and respect it as it is ?
March 11, 2024 @ 5:48 pm
may I ask why we are dealing with ninigret. we should leave this wonderful resource alone
March 11, 2024 @ 4:08 pm
Hmmm…is someone trying to hide something?🫤
March 13, 2024 @ 5:23 pm
Please do not change Ninigret Park. As preceding replies say it is lovely as it is. We do not need 33 million to improve it.
March 11, 2024 @ 1:37 pm
I attended a crowded SRO Ninigret Park Plan meeting Oct 30, 2023 in the Town Council chamber. The presenter shared what was basically a minor revision of two past plans. What did this study cost the taxpayers??? When the public was finally allowed to comment, most, if not all, asked that no major costly changes be made to Ninigret Park. Yet, the final “revision” comes back with no changes in the plan and a missing cost sheet. Consultants do what they’re told. The present majority of the town council has an agenda to make Ninigret Park into an event space costing at least $14 million to build. What was the motive in hiding the total Ninigret Park price tag of $33 million? Currently these major events cost the town police, fire services at a time of the year when Charlestown’s population triples and they are already stretched in keeping our town safe. The Town Council has been asked numerous times to reveal these costs. Don’t hold your breath. The TC wants to perpetrate the falsehood that these events are covering town costs and could make a profit for the town. This boondoggle must be stopped. The best way is for voters to remove the present majority this coming November and vote for the CCA Team.
March 11, 2024 @ 9:46 am
Thank you as always CCA for keeping us fully informed.
If a $33 million bond was done what would be the increase in our town taxes as a %age or as some typical examples of people whose current taxes are say $3,000, $4,000 or $5,000/ year?
March 11, 2024 @ 8:18 am
The present town council has an agenda and the citizens be damned