First thing’s first
Dear Neighbors & Friends,
I hope you’re having a great weekend and can feel the warmer days coming!
I am writing to provide an update on the planned improvements to Furnace Brook Golf Course and Forbes Hill Park. Since the neighborhood meeting that I held on March 2 with Mayor Koch and Natural Resources Department Commissioner Dave Murphy, we have been fortunate to receive important and constructive feedback on the initial plans that were presented that evening and subsequently distributed throughout the community. Today, I am pleased to share with you a set of revised plans for Furnace Brook Golf Course and Forbes Hill Park based on your feedback.
I am truly grateful that so many of you reached out to me by phone and e-mail to share your perspectives. Should you have any additional comments, questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to do so again.
Kindly accept my best wishes to you and your families!
With my best regards,
Ian Cain
City Councilor, Ward 3
Quincy, MA
March 2, 2022 – Furnace Brook Golf Course Club House – City Councilor Ian Cain with Mayor Koch and Natural Resources Department Commissioner Dave Murphy presenting initial plans for improvements to Furnace Brook Golf Course and Forbes Hill Park to area residents.
Furnace Brook Golf Course
On March 2, I hosted a meeting with Mayor Koch and Natural Resources Department Commissioner Dave Murphy on the city’s operation of the Furnace Brook Golf Course. A presentation was delivered on preliminary designs for a new clubhouse and other amenities.
Version Two of the plans are accessible through the link below. Based on community feedback, the number of proposed parking spots has decreased from 107 to 70 and addressed concerns about the loss of greenspace.
These plans are not final. There are still tweaks to be made. You can see the red lines where Commissioner Murphy has asked the designers to locate the courts to ensure as much contiguous greenspace as possible. The blue area is a natural storm-water filtration swale.
The tweaks would narrow the driveway leading to the clubhouse (the area with no designated parking) to limit the impervious surfaces. There is also a red oak mentioned in our Tree Warden’s letter (link also included below) that we will preserve and design around.
The plan does not yet show the new trees that we will be planting to create separation between the park and the parking lot. We will be adding a diverse array of trees along that border which will help with both aesthetics and hydrology.
The Mayor has met with DPW/Engineering and has a plan to improve the existing conditions – both as it relates to the history of the park and the bowl beneath the soil and other areas in the neighborhood around the golf course. Unlike the existing parking, the new parking areas will be developed within MS4 stormwater guidelines and will improve stormwater management on site.
There is a small square by the tower that we have as a placeholder to locate some small playground equipment per the request of the residents – we haven’t finalized the spot for that and remain open to feedback on the best spot per residents requests.
