Open Space Panel Names Three Priority Projects

Open Space Committee · Meeting of October 20, 2026

Newbury's Open Space Committee settled on its first three priority trail projects ahead of a planned state submission this week. Chair Bill Hoffman, Clerk Mike Carbone, and members Christina Hoffman and Jim Dooling agreed to pursue standardized trail signage, a Central Green boardwalk repair, and formal support for the Border to Boston Trail Committee's design work. Assistant Planner Sadie Woodward reported the Planning Board voted 3-1 to approve a letter of support for the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan after a Plum Island resident on that board unsuccessfully sought a deferral over parking concerns; the Select Board also approved its letter.

Woodward reported that the Select Board acknowledged "parking's been an issue for decades on Plum Island," but it remains outside the committee's jurisdiction. Members are compiling roughly 25 feedback items from other boards before sending the plan to the state, with edits due Thursday at noon.

In the full story:

• Call to Order and Minutes
• Board and Committee Outreach Debrief
• Prioritizing First Projects: Signage, Central Green, and the Border to Boston Trail
• Items Deferred: Hunting Areas and Parker River Landing Parking
• Plum Island Parking and the Planning Board's Split Vote
• Incorporating Written Feedback: The Spreadsheet Review
• State Submission Timeline and the Border to Boston Open House
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,885 words

Source: the Open Space Committee meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.