Major Makeover Proposed For Kate Gould Park: Three-phase Upgrade Planned For Downtown Chatham Greenspace

CHATHAM – An extensive remake of Kate Gould Park, located in the heart of downtown, is in the works.

 The first of three phases of the project will get underway in the coming weeks with the removal of several trees and outreach to the public to help guide final designs. Work could begin as soon as next year, with projected completion in 2027 or 2028.

 Spearheaded by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association’s beautification committee, the project aims to restore the legacy of Kate Gould, who bequeathed the park to the town in the 1930s. 

 “The vision is to preserve Kate Gould Park as a safe, welcoming and sustainable gathering place for generations to come,” Chamber Executive Director Angela Bucar said in a presentation at the Oct. 28 select board meeting.

 The park has long served as the home of the Chatham Band’s summer concerts, and in recent decades it has been the site of Art in the Park and other displays as well as events like Oktoberfest and the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham. But the wear and tear has shown on the Main Street side of the park, where grass is unable to grow due to pedestrian traffic and a thick tree canopy.

 Conceptual plans show the placement of hardscape such as pavers in that area to create what landscape designer David Hawk of Hawk Design called a “town square” setting. A number of trees that show signs of disease and are considered safety hazards will be removed, including three near the Main Street side of the park. Tree Warden Tom Barr will hold a hearing on removal of the maple, linden and honey locust trees on Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. at the annex.

 The idea of paving a portion of the park was met with skepticism at last Tuesday’s presentation. Pavement “sounds a bit scary,” said Meredith Fry, chair of the park and recreation commission, which has jurisdiction over the property. “That’s not our vision at all,” she said.

 “I’m not sure hardscape is an inviting factor,” said Select board member Shareen Davis. 

 Select board Chair Dean Nicastro was concerned about widening the existing brick walkway that winds through the park, another concept discussed Oct. 28. 

 “I’m concerned about putting too much in one location and eliminating greenspace,” he said.

 Bucar stressed that the conceptual plans are preliminary and that the final design will reflect the public input phase of the project, which will include public presentations, surveys and discussions with stakeholders.

 “We’ve been working on this for a very long time, and we’re at a point where we want to introduce this not only to the select board, but then bring it to the public,” she said. The beautification committee, which also oversaw the sale of inscribed bricks for the walkway, has been working with the park and recreation commission, department of public works, Friends of Trees and conservation department to “provide accessibility, sustainability and community engagement” to drive the design process, she said.

 Other conceptual ideas for the park include opening up the entryway on the Main Street side, which is now flanked by a fence. “That’s a little bit of a congestion spot there,” Bucar noted. The brick walkway would also be widened. Bucar said currently if more than two people are passing each other someone has to step off the walkway, which is contributing to wear and tear along its edges. Landscaping around the perimeter of the park is “a little tired,” Hawk said, and would likely be replaced along with a number of trees throughout the park, including toward the back where it backs up to the town-owned Seaside Links golf course. An extensive report by Bartlett Tree Experts recommends removing a total of nine of the 92 trees in the park, with many others requiring care including pruning, structural support and vine removal. Benches that are along the edges of the property could be moved closer to the path, and circular seating could be added around some trees.

 “There’s a lot of untapped potential,” Bucar said, to make the park into a more “inviting public space.”

A librarian at the Eldredge Public Library, Kate Gould died in 1930, leaving her estate in the hands of three trustees — Heman Harding, Raymond Eldredge and Roland Snow — all prominent local residents. The park was to be a memorial to Gould’s mother and stepfather; a plaque affixed to a large boulder in the center of the park includes that dedication.

“Her wishes were that it was a sanctuary of peace and beauty,” Bucar said. A hand-drawn plan for the park from the Atwood House archives shows a number of trees along the Main Street entrance and two “natural” ponds toward the back of the property connected by a canal and bridge. A fieldstone terrace was to provide seating for concerts and gatherings.

Exactly how much of that plan was actually implemented is uncertain. Gould’s will was contested with the property held in trust by the library while legal issues were worked out. Town meeting voted to accept the donation of the property in 1933, but a special town meeting later that year rescinded the vote. 

According to an undated newspaper article from the Atwood archives, the trustees went ahead and made improvements to the park, including planting 500 crocus bulbs, 123 trees and 356 shrubs, many of them donated by local residents. The work cost $1,951, according to the article.

Town meeting eventually accepted the donation of the park.

Gould’s will stipulated that no business be conducted in the park, and that the only vehicles allowed would be baby carriages and wheelchairs. 

In 1946, the bandstand used by the Chatham Band for its weekly summer concerts was moved from a field next to the town offices (the approximate location of the chamber’s downtown information booth today) to Kate Gould Park, about where one of the ponds are shown on the early drawing. The park has hosted the band’s concerts ever since, which grew in popularity significantly from the 1960s to the ‘80s and today attract upwards of 5,000 on Friday nights between July 4 and Labor Day. In the 2000s, Art in the Park and other activities took advantage of the park’s downtown location, and it has become a popular spot for weddings, music and other events, including summer Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham performances.

Design priorities for the revamping of the park, dubbed “Restoring the Legacy of Kate Gould Park,” include accessibility, sustainability and community engagement, according to Bucar’s presentation. The vision for the park’s future includes native plantings, improved seating, upgraded lighting and improvements to the front of the park.

Once phase one is completed, the second phase will scope out the costs, including drainage, paving, lighting, benches and signage. Landscaping will then be finalized in 2027 to 2028, according to information presented at the Oct. 28 session. Plans call for approaching the community preservation committee for funding, although no figures have been discussed at this point.

Nothing is finalized yet, Bucar emphasized, noting that the Oct. 28 presentation was aimed at bringing attention to the project and the upcoming public participation process. 

“We’ve been talking and talking and talking about” upgrading the park for a long time, said Fry, whose commission voted to support moving forward with the project at its Oct. 20 meeting. “And we just want to get it done.”

The select board voted unanimously to give the beautification committee the go-ahead to proceed with phase one of the project.