City of Medford

Amount Appropriated?

$1.5M

FFID tracks stages 1–2 — stages 3–5 vary by agency, assistance type, and earmark structure.

Project Description

The City of Medford ran an extensive community outreach effort to inform a plan for the full renovation of Carr Park. Community members made clear a strong desire to integrate any recreation improvements with forward-looking climate mitigation and environmental conservation strategies. This funding request is for a solar PV array over the basketball court which will power the EV charging stations, new LED lighting and phone and laptop charging stations in the pavilion and the water features in the playground. Any additional electricity generated will power the fire station across the street. The basketball court and shaded pavilion would be an excellent public demonstration of the application of solar energy and provide an opportunity to promote learning via interpretive signage on renewable energy. Additional elements of this portion of the park include a second basketball court, skateboarding and swing facilities, a four-season playground with integrated water features for cooling, and a natural play area with a slide built into the side of a small hill that could be used for winter sledding. Medford\u2019s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) identifies Carr Park as experiencing urban heat island effect. This resilient community solar park will offer inventive strategies for both mitigating heat impacts and capturing solar energy. Water features in the playground will provide much needed relief during the summers, which are getting increasingly hotter in New England. The pavilion offers shade and seating and is an excellent opportunity to incorporate renewable energy into the park. Carr Park is in notably poor condition and undergoes a high intensity of use. This project meets community-identified, high priority needs for both the surrounding neighborhood and regional community.