Improving Tamaques While Preserving What’s Great

I grew up a short walk from Tamaques Park and have spent a good portion of my childhood there. I’ve walked, biked, and hiked, every inch of trail, I’ve played pickup games of tennis, soccer and two-hand-touch, and now when I do trash clean ups there I can do a sort of amateur archeology (bottles through the ages). To say that Tamaques Park is near and dear to my heart can truly not be understated. Unfortunately, in Westfield, some neighborhoods get results, but too often, Ward 4 gets forced to settle. That’s why many residents view the upcoming changes in Tamaques with concern, and not excitement. These fears have been worsened by calls from a candidate to ignore the transparency of the current survey and holistic DPW approach and instead use a 2018 plan from the Skabitsky administration. This plan did little more than replace the rain garden area with a few more parking spots, build a three story building with no stated purpose and put one and a half turf fields and in the middle of the park surrounded by a fence (I've posted a picture below for reference).

Tamaques has been, in my entire lifetime, a great park to spend time in, and it’s clear that it could use a little updating. Despite the park's beauty, it lacks critical infrastructure. There are few semi-indoor spaces for gatherings on even slightly rainy days. The shortage of basic amenities, such as bathrooms, water fountains, field houses, and comfortable seating means families must haul their own supplies, from chairs to gallons of water, just to enjoy the space. Some amenities have become completely unusable, like the shuffle board court and lack of amenities also leaves certain areas underused such as around the pond. Pedestrians have to share the road and cyclists are in the same lane as the cars. There is a fear from residents that these issues will go unaddressed, as in the 2018 plan, and instead of improving what people loved, the renovation may remove their favorite things instead.

Any renovation of Tamaques must enhance what already makes it special while thoughtfully addressing longstanding issues. This means improving the aesthetics and signage around entrances to better manage traffic flow and crowding. It means re-opening the park’s rustic cabins and adding well-designed shade structures that offer protection from sun and rain without compromising the park’s natural beauty. It means creating a park where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists don’t have to worry about running into each other. It means protecting the wooded trails and natural fields, ensuring that nature remains at the heart of the park experience. We can plan for modern, clean field houses, accessible restrooms, water fountains, and seating that allows parents and spectators to enjoy the park in comfort.

I believe Tamaques will be a great park, a location where scouts once again gather in the cabins, where families celebrate birthdays and barbecues, and where athletes and spectators alike can prepare and rest with convenience and dignity, a place where nature and beauty take precedence. I’m asking you to be a part of this vision, please reach out and tell me what concerns you have, and what you’d love to see in the park. Together, let’s make sure our voices shape the future of Tamaques.