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Wide Open Spaces… for Media Borough

Recently, Media Borough established an Open Space, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee in response to the consistent desire expressed by residents to have plenty of parks within the borough.  The committee is being guided by the team of Toole Recreation Planning, Viridian Landscape Studio, and JMT, external consultants with deep expertise in assisting municipalities in holistically and systematically developing plans for the outdoor spaces that residents seek.

“We are working to create the experiences that residents are looking for while building the borough a plan that considers long-term financial and environmental sustainability,” said Ann Toole, the primary Parks and Recreation Planner supporting the effort.

The effort is very community-based, and includes strong public participation through the Plan Advisory Committee, focus groups, public meetings, and interviews. “Of course, now we are adapting the plan to connect with residents virtually or incorporating social distancing guidelines,” noted Toole.

The Committee’s scope includes the following topics:

  • Open space
  • Parkland
  • Parks
  • Recreation Facilities
  • Programs and Services
  • Trails: Safe places to walk and bicycle
  • Park and recreation facilities and trail maintenance
  • Organization and Management
  • Financing: revenues, expenditures and revenues sources along with public and private support

“Parks don’t have to be limited to ballfields and playgrounds. Offering residents open spaces and connections to nature are really an important part of this project,” Toole said. 

Tavis Dockwiller, the team’s landscape architect said, “We see Media as a community within a park.  When you walk down the street in Media, and look up at the shady green street trees, and see everybody’s front yards stretching down before you in a long mosaic of gardens, you see the framework for a park. We want the plan to help Media make the right tweaks so it becomes even more so —  a beautiful, healthy, sustainable, connected green system with safe places to walk and bicycle, along with wonderful recreational programs and plenty of things to do.”

The planning project will continue through 2020 with completion in 2021. 

If you would like to be on the Open Space Plan contact list, please email Karen Taussig-Lux at ktlux@mediaborough.com. 

The Open Space Advisory Committee is the lifeblood of the Open Space Planning Project.  It is made up of the following people; all but two are Media Borough residents: Ally Britton, Eleanor Dimarino-Linnen, Katie Dooley, Jack Kolmansberger, Brendan O’Riordan, Stephanie Sher, James Tangorra , Stephanie Gaboriault, David Gale, Michael Jordan, Joe Leach, Sandie Liacouras, Jennifer Malkoun, Terry Rumsey, Lars Seufert, Daniel White, Chris Wilchensky, Kevin Boyer, Amy Johnson, Peter Williamson, Karen Taussig-Lux, Drew Arata