Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- The state Department of Environmental Management is asking a state committee for permission to begin seeking proposals for new "public-private'' activities at Haines Park in Barrington, Salty Acres in Narragansett, World War II Memorial Park in Woonsocket, Beach Pond in Exeter, Goddard State Park golf course in Warwick and Jerusalem in Narragansett.

The proposal will be considered by the State Properties Committee on Tuesday at 10 a.m. in a second-floor Department of Administration conference room.

According to a letter that DEM director W. Michael Sullivan sent the committee, "The department envisions a sustainable parks and recreation system that will rely on both public and private funding and partnerships. Partnerships will allow for some relief to the public dollars needed to finance infrastructure and at the same time will open up opportunities for creative businesses to flourish within our parks systems.''

He said there is precedent.

The state currently allows for privately operated concessions stands and for the imposition of user fees at parks and beaches, such as the current user fee for what Sullivan called "the Equestrian Facilities in Lincoln Woods and Goddard Park, the public golf course at Goddard Park, camping in Fisherman's Memorial Park, Burlingame, and George Washington Management Area.''

In his letter, he also cited the role of nonprofits, such as "Sail Newport with its public sailing program, Fort Adams Trust, which operates the fort structure at the park, Buttonhole Golf Course operated by the Golf Foundation of Rhode Island, and the Coggeshall Farm Museum at Colt State Park.''

Not all such proposals have been greeted warmly in the past. In Barrington, for example, a push by youth sports leagues to transfer ownership of 85 acres from the DEM to the town to make way for more athletic fields ran into opposition from residents anxious to keep the park open for walking and other passive recreational pursuits, and those worried about flood lights shining into their houses at night from new ballfields.

 Tags  State Department of Environmental Management W. Michael Sullivan

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