Hampden Panel Begins Open Space Plan Rewrite
Parks and Recreation · Meeting of July 8, 2026
Hampden opens a year-long rewrite of its Open Space and Recreation Plan. Pioneer Valley Planning Commission project manager Derek walked the town's Parks and Recreation Committee through the state's required chapter format Wednesday, warning Hampden cannot receive open-space grant funding until the revised plan wins state approval, expected around March. New members Mark O'Malley and Planning Board representative Dave Demers joined the panel.
Reviewing the 2017 plan's six goals, members found little progress on planned sidewalks along Main Street and Wilbraham Road, no resolution for the vacant, contamination-flagged former Cumberland Farms lot downtown, and an ongoing dirt-bike trespass problem on conservation land. "By the time the police get there to do anything, they're gone," one member said of enforcement. No votes were taken.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,704 words
Source: the Parks and Recreation meeting of July 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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