Development plans for the Central Hill campus area are being finalized in preparation for a spring 2020 start.

By Erin Nolan

Community members voiced both concern and excitement over the future plans for the Central Hill campus at the first community meeting this past Monday, July 22.

Main features of the Phase I plan, which is scheduled to begin construction in spring 2020, include the installation of a war memorial path, a renovation of the Central Hill playground, and the protection of green space surrounding the library which can be used for a variety of events.

“The main goal is to try to create a cohesive space for the community to use,” said Michael Fazio, a project manager. “I think this is a place of community. There are so many different events that happen on the hill, and when we did the initial campus plan, the feeling from the community was that they wanted a place that felt inclusive.”

Phase I of the current plan include installation of a war memorial path, renovation of the Central Hill playground, and protection of green space surrounding the library.

The playground will be located in front of the library. The project team is currently developing ideas regarding playground themes, how to incorporate existing trees into the space, and how to best address the natural slope of the property.

The War Memorial Walk will run parallel to Highland Avenue and feature a Civil War memorial, memorial cannons, a Unitarian memorial, a Spanish War/ Philippine/ China memorial, a World War I memorial, Dilboy Monument, a Korean War Memorial, a Vietnam War memorial, and an Honor Roll memorial. There will also be space left for a future memorial. During Phase I of the project, the Vietnam War and Korean War monuments are expected to be completed.

A highlight of the walk is expected to be an interactive memorial, most likely located inside the renovated 1895 Building. The memorial will allow visitors to type in the name of a Somerville veteran; this will prompt a photograph of the veteran as well as additional information about their personal life and service to be brought to an LCD screen.

A War Memorial walk is planned as part of an expansion of the current memorial in place at the site.

In addition to conversation about the new additions being made to the property, the number of trees in the space became a hot topic during the meeting. According to Laura Monies, the landscape architect/planner, there are 242 existing trees on the property, and while some trees will be removed during the process, trees will also be planted over the course of the project. At the end of the project, there is projected to be 248 trees on the property.

One resident in attendance expressed concern over how full and lush the newer trees will be in comparison to the trees that are to be removed. Another commended the project team on their efforts to keep as many existing trees as possible.

Members of the Somerville Garden Club were there to make sure that people were concerned about other aspects of the landscape as well.

“People are very aware that trees are important, but it’s not just trees,” said Irene Heim. “Other kinds of plants can help control rainwater and runoff, and things like that.”

Cynthia Stillenger, another member of the Somerville Garden Club, said she was excited to hear that the project team was talking about incorporating existing trees into play areas and harvesting rainwater for city use.

“You can see a tremendous amount of thought goes into these projects,” Stillenger said. “The planning process is very long. I like the fact that it has a lot of community feedback. You can see if you’ve ever been to these meetings, the feedback gets incorporated, they do their best to listen to the community.” The club has previously been responsible for gardens on the campus.

“Nights like tonight, where we get feedback from our neighbors, we are using it to make sure we incorporate all those things into the design,” said Fazio. “I think it’s a really important project in our office, because there are so many Somerville residents. It is near and dear to our hearts. I’ve lived here for 26 years, so it was exciting to work for a firm that is doing the campus plan. I think it’s sort of a really meaningful thing for the people working on the project to really live in the city. We all have a special connection.”