Town eyes small parks that would link trail system

Windsor may develop two small parks near Windsor and East
Windsor creeks as part of its townwide trail system, if a deal to
obtain the land from a developer can be worked out.
MLB Homes, which is building the 64-unit Windsor Creek
subdivision between Windsor Road and the Northwestern Pacific
Railroad tracks, is offering the town a total of five acres in two
parcels left over after a redesign of the project.
“This is something we felt would be good for the neighbors,”
said Michael Bianucci, president of MLB Homes. “I think it’s good
for the community.”
One of the parcels is about two acres along Windsor Creek, and
the other is approximately three acres on East Windsor Creek. There
is room on the smaller parcel for a lawn and a half-court
basketball area, and on the larger parcel for a small play area and
benches, according to the town.
However, the parcels may be subject to flooding and part of the
area could be left in its natural state as open space, said Marla
Young, Windsor’s director of economic development and community
services.
“This is a beautiful, natural area” and there is a need for more
park space in that part of Windsor, she said.
Improvements such as benches or play areas would have to come
out of the town’s parks budget, and councilmembers cautioned that
nearby residents may not see those features immediately. The park
features are expected to cost about $360,000 to build and $27,000 a
year to maintain.
“We’re not going to have the money to do the amenities now,”
said Councilmember Debora Fudge. “We don’t have any money in the
parks budget” for the project.
The development of the nearby trails on the two creeks is part
of Windsor’s trails plan, which was updated in November of last
year. A series of trails for biking and walking are planned
throughout the town, many of them along creek banks.
The trails near the Windsor Creek subdivision would connect with
others on the east side of town through a railroad undercrossing on
the south side of East Windsor Creek. The railroad undercrossing is
a high priority for the town and would provide a key link in the
trail system, councilmembers said.
The undercrossing “puts us one link closer in a commuter trail”
through town, said Councilmember Steve Allen. “I’m excited about
it.”
The town will negotiate the transfer of the proposed parkland
with Bianucci’s company, which is in the second phase of the
Windsor Creek project. The first phase of the subdivision consists
of 19 homes that have already been completed.
Bianucci said the parcels became available after the project was
redesigned based on new data about flooding on the nearby creeks.
Their conversion to park areas and the completion of the second
phase of Windsor Creek could eliminate illegal encampments that
have popped up on the property, he said.
“I think this is a project that needs to be completed,” said
Bianucci. He said it would be “difficult” to dedicate the parkland
to the town without knowing when the rest of the subdivision would
be completed — waiting until drainage improvements on the creeks
are completed could take several years, he told the council.
“If we couldn’t build there for three or four years, I would
have to re-think” the offer, he said. “We would like to finish our
project.”