WESTBROOK CITY FOREST
MASTER PLAN
The City of Westbrook is developing a master plan for the City Forest. The City Forest will be an open space recreational amenity for the Westbrook community. The plan for the City Forest will include a comprehensive trail system, areas for outdoor play and education, and infrastructure to support community use.
PROJECT FUNDING: Funding for this project will come from a variety of sources. The build-out of the City Forest will likely take place over several years, as grant assistance and funding becomes available.
LOCATION
The City Forest is located on two parcels of forested land north of the Westbook Community Center and Congin Elementary School. The close proximity of the City Forest to the Community Center and School make this an ideal location for a public recreational amenity.
Westbrook City Forest Parcels (interactive map)
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The combined size of the two City Forest parcels is approximately 75 acres. The existing landscape is forested, with variations in topography and areas with exposed ledge and rock outcrops. The parcels are bordered and intersected by three active transmission line corridors.
slide right for OWNERSHIP / slide left for EXISTING FEATURES
DRAFT PLAN
PLAN ELEMENTS
ACCESS
PRIMARY GATEWAY:
- Westbrook Community Center
- parking / trail head / signage / kiosk
SECONDARY TRAIL HEADS:
- Congin School (for use by school)
- Cumberland Woods (small parking)
- Cumberland Street (no parking)
- Northern Access on Main Line Trail (private property)
TRAILS
Main Line Trail will serve as a spine through the City Forest. Trail to be approximately 8-12 feet wide and extend north-south through City Forest property. This trail will provide access to various areas and secondary trails throughout the forest.
Family Friendly Trail will provide a short 0.4 mile loop from the Westbrook Community Center. This trail will maintain gentle grades and be accessible to most.
Congin School Trail will connect Congin Elementary School to outdoor classrooms and the natural play area. This will be barrier-free accessible trail to allow to all students to access the City Forest from the school. A gate or fence will limit access and provide some security to school yard.
Individual Trails will be shared use and designed to support walking, running, and biking. Some trails will be easy with gentle grades and wider clearings. Others will be more difficult with steeper grades and more technical terrain.
5K Loop will be identified in the trail system, allowing users to begin and end at the Community Center to complete a 5K loop. This unique loop will use several trails in the Forest and will be identified in the field through signage.
Use Note: All trails are to be shared-use and to be non-motorized (with the exception of snowmobiles in winter). The main access trails will be wide enough to allow Westbrook Public Safety ATV to access to the site in case of emergency.
TRAIL TYPES
OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS
Outdoor classrooms will be located in the area immediately north of Congin Elementary School. The plan includes five outdoor classrooms (one for each grade). The classrooms will vary in size and dimension to provide a variety of learning and sensory environments. The classroom areas will be connected to a trail that leads directly to Congin School.
NATURAL PLAY AREA
A natural play area will be located in close proximity to the outdoor classrooms and Congin Elementary School. This area will be a play space with components made primarily from natural materials (logs, boulders, topography, living plants, etc.). The intent is to allow children and adults to play and explore in a natural woodland setting.
MOUNTAIN BIKE PUMP TRACK + TERRAIN PARK
A mountain bike pump track and terrain park will be located in the Forest behind the Westbrook Community Center.
This area is already in use by mountain bikers who have built jumps and ramps using soil in the Forest. Unfortunately, this current activity is not sanctioned or monitored and has caused erosion and ecological destruction in this portion of the forest. A formalized pump track or terrain park will allow for this activity to continue safely and sustainably.
What is a pump track? A pump track is a is a continuous circuit of banked turns, rollers, and other features that can be ridden on a bike without pedaling. This type of course is friendly for riders of all ages and skill levels able to safely navigate the course.
AMENITIES
This master plan is focused on the overall layout and program of the City Forest. The details and construction documentation will be the next stage in the design process. While this plan will not identify the exact location or design of the individual site amenities, this master planning process acknowledges the following amenities should be included in the Forest:
- Wayfinding Signage
- Regulatory Signage
- Trail head Kiosks
- Dog Waste Disposal Stations
- Trash Receptacles
- Benches (regularly spaced)
FEEDBACK
The Westbrook Recreation & Conservation Commission is guiding this master planning process with assistance from the Westbook Planning Department and design consultants: TJD&A Landscape Architects and Planners / OBP Trailworks.
As part of this planning work, we have completed an extensive inventory and analysis of the property, met with individual stakeholders, and developed this draft plan.
We are now looking for feedback and comments from members of the Westbrook community! Your input is important to us. Please click the button below to tell us what you think about the Draft Plan for the City Forest.
