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Representatives from the Norwood Park and Recreation District (NPRD) attended the Norwood Town Board of Trustees meeting in February to express their disappointment with the lack of communication regarding planning and projects. Then, Daiva Chesonis, Liza Tangua and Nola Svoboda told trustees they’re requesting more collaboration, especially in light of the Community Builders Workshop that took place as the pandemic was starting in 2020 — a three-day event held in Grand Junction designed to bring together local leaders for increased community collaboration. Then, town staff with the library director, a representative from NPRD and others attended. 

Park and Rec representatives said they felt slighted after the new year when they were not informed that the 19-acre parcel, where the disc golf course currently sits, may be sold to the Norwood Fire Protection District to make way for a new fire station. They said they should have been included in a conversation and were disappointed to hear the news from town trustee Shawn Fallon, who is also on the NPRD board. 

Trustees responded, and Candy Meehan said she has seen much collaboration in the last year, especially concerning water and development. 

“I’m sorry this is how Park and Rec sees it,” she said. 

Trustee Kerry Welch said she was also surprised at NPRD’s complaint, since everyone seems to be working and volunteering. 

“We all have to meet in the center,” Welch said. 

Chesonis told the town board NPRD has much to offer the community, and they are working to make their district’s voice louder. Svoboda added the district felt “blindsided” with the news about the property sale. She said she was under the assumption that the parcel was public land. She added that if the 19 acres were to be sold, town officials needed to purchase more land to replace it. 

Svoboda said the space has the potential to become a great park with a pond, trail connections and more. 

“I am asking the town to consider what to purchase to replace that,” she said to the board. 

Welch said the property was up for grabs six years ago, but nobody wanted it. 

“We went to the fire district, NPRD and the library,” she said. “Nobody took us up on it.” 

Last week, on Feb. 22, the town facilitated a work session with various stakeholders regarding the future of the 19 acres. Attending the discussion were representatives from Norwood Fire Protection District, Norwood Public Schools and Park and Rec. Those from NPRD said they again felt disappointed to find out they “aren’t allowed a seat at the table.” That’s because they’re not interested buyers for the property.

Svoboda said while Park and Rec is not looking to buy the 19 acres, and couldn’t afford it anyway, the NPRD board believes that their organization should be included on decisions related to public land and land designated for parks and open space. She said the taxpayers pays taxes on the parcel, and a portion of those taxes go toward the Park and Rec district. 

“Don’t NPRD’s constituents live in the Town of Norwood and pay those taxes?” she asked. 

Additionally, Park and Rec board members said they were further upset to learn from town that the insurance certificate on the disc golf course had lapsed without their knowledge. For them, it’s another example of bad communication.