Western Massachusetts Post-9/11 & Service Dog Memorial Park

Challenge

Before the park was designed, the 7-acre property went unused for decades. In the 1970s, the property was donated to the City of Chicopee by the Westover Air Reserve Base, located to the northeast, in hopes of turning it into a park. Plans to bring the underutilized area to life continuously faltered. After years of false starts, a simple conceptual sketch sparked the necessary support and subsequent funding to bring the vision to reality.

The park was designed with two goals in mind:

• Creating a passive community park that is ripe with creativity, positivity, respect for the military history of the area, and appreciation of those who served, and those who continue to serve, as well as service dogs. It would allow its visitors a holistic experience and the ability to feel and share emotions ranging from celebration, to exercise, to solemn reflection.
• Designing and developing a park that would be extremely functional and accessible for all abilities, sensitive to the existing land and environmental features, and designed with a multi-generation user base in mind -- a place for all to feel welcome.

Solution

As a prime consultant for the park, SLR was responsible for:

• Public participation process
• Master plan prep
• Grant application assistance
• Permitting
• Design of construction docs for proposed memorial park site improvement elements, including:
  • Dog park
  • Interactive sculpture
  • Drainage
  • Grading
  • Walkways
  • Parking
  • Benches
  • Fencing
  • Walls
  • Gateway elements
  • Signage
  • Technical specifications
  • Construction cost estimate
  • Play & fitness apparatus specifications

Survey and archaeological support were provided by Durkee, White, Towne & Chapdelaine and Heritage Consultants, respectively.

The project was unique and innovative in the application of a substantial and well-balanced public, private, and military input and participation process, extending from development of initial concepts through design and construction. The new park is universally accessible with natural trails, nature-themed playgrounds, fitness areas, and a “timeline walk” of granite pavers etched with dates and human losses of Massachusetts deployments since 2001. The park includes nearly 30 interpretive, educational signs illustrating words of service, weapons, and equipment used. All pathways lead uphill to the pinnacle plaza, complete with a faux textured concrete sand dune intended to mimic the Middle Eastern environment, custom bench seating, and a sculptural wall of dog tags that function as wind chimes. Finally, a concrete T-Wall, a quintessential element of military bases abroad, is installed and completed with a mural painted by local artists.

This sustainable project incorporated low impact design techniques promoting infiltration, with a minimalistic approach to standard storm water structures. Stormwater quality basins are intended to appear to be bomb or mortar craters, incorporating damaged faux building facades. All of the primary walks are a stabilized stone dust surface, rather than asphalt, decreasing any heat island effect as well as limiting the use of petroleum products. The project focused on the usage of natural materials including the 14”x14” wood columns supporting custom signage that are made from salvaged telephone poles. The new dog parks are woven into the natural landscape and connected to all the other elements through accessible, meandering trails. The park design is one of a kind and has left a lasting impression on many members of the design team and their families.

Impact

The Western Massachusetts Post 9/11 & Service Dog Memorial Park is the City of Chicopee’s first ever dog park, not only giving the community a place to be active, but also to remember and honor those who have served and those lost.

The park joined dozens of other military-themed locations in the City in its ongoing tradition of military commitment in the community. The “veteran proud” city is home to over 4,000 veterans.

The City of Chicopee has indicated that they are very proud of this project, having complimented SLR for their professionalism, technical expertise, application of unique and innovative solutions, and dedication to this project.

“This project is the result of an inter-departmental collaboration between Veterans Services and City Departments, and took a lot of effort from some very special people to give our community a place to honor those who made sacrifices during those attacks … The City is very proud of this project, and we compliment SLR for their professionalism, technical expertise, application of unique and innovative solutions, and dedication to this project.”

John L. Vieau, Mayor of the City of Chicopee, MA