Clay Pit Pond Charette

As the first phase of a master planning process for Clay Pit Pond Park in Belmont, MA, BETA conducted a charette to listen to community  needs  and  desires  around  this  iconic  touchstone landscape.  BETA went on to conduct three charettes in the summer of 2014, scheduled in the early evening so that the largest number of stakeholder groups would be able to attend.

Diverse groups, from the local veterans, who wished to expand upon an existing Veterans’ memorial at the park, to the Conservation Commission, scouting groups, the town tree warden, local students, the disability council, historical society, and many others, were invited. The initial charette began with a walk and sharing discussion around the pond, continued with groups working on visioning plans, and wrapped up with presentations from each group. “Precedent boards” were posted around the room depicting the ways similar parks have been designed, with the option for all participants to vote on the designs they liked and disliked.