By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The future appearance of the Naples Village Green is something most people are able to envision.

Last week, several citizens verbalized what they thought the priorities should be. With the removal of the old pine trees, isn’t it time to put down loam and seed, some people have asked.

A nice green lawn might not be an immediate objective.

That’s because a tent will be pitched on the village green as space for children attending summer camp.

“We no longer have a gym. Because of that, I have 60 children in my summer camp that need a space. We are using a 40-X 60-foot tent out there,” according to Community Activities Director Brian Crockett. “That is a scheduled eight-week camp, starting at end of June. Anything you want to do would have to wait until after that.”

On May 22, during the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting, the Naples Land Use Committee (LUC) provided information about various options. The committee members stated the process is to check out the price and feasibility of options.

“The point we are trying to make tonight is: This is not a botanical garden. We want to leave it as open as possible so we have the space in the middle. We want to showcase the village green,” Committee member Kathy Keinath said.

LUC Chairman Dave Garcia introduced the topic.

“As you can see we got the maples planted. We don’t really want to do any more planting until the fall. We don’t want to overcrowd the green with trees,” Garcia said.

The species of tree on tap for this fall: three flowering crabapple trees, he said.

Right now, the three maples that were planted in May are being watered using gator bags.

The committee had priced an irrigation system at “$6,000 to lay the pipes and the heads. That doesn’t include hiring a plumber,” Garcia said.

“We want to do this in phases. We want to establish how you want us to phase this. Do you want the irrigation and the planting this fall; and if so, where is the money coming from,” Garcia said.

Keinath talked about the task before the committee to come up with those phases.

Early in the discussion, audience member Priscilla Kyle asked if the town might pursue growing a lawn.

“Will it be easier to grow the grass now that pines are gone? Do you feel that without the pine needles you would need all the watering that you are talking about,” she asked.

“No matter what you do when you plant grass, you need water,” Garcia answered. 

Keinath mentioned that the soil is too sandy to support the growing grass there.

“We are trying to grow grass in sand,” she said.

Selectman Kevin Rogers spoke.

“I think we are in good hands with the phasing. We are putting the cart before the horse. We are putting irrigation down before there is loam. If we are talking about nice shrubbery and gardens. Irrigation is a little down the road compared to getting loam out there,” he said.

Keinath said the irrigation system does not have to happen right away, especially since the maples have gators to keep them watered.

Penn Worcester posed a question to the board.

“Whatever we do here on the green is going to be there for a long time so no need to rush. The question is: I would like to hear the position from the board on the loam. That seem to be one of the biggest questions of all,” Worcester said.

Selectman Rogers said the first step is to get a price for loam.

LUC member Arleen Shepherd said that she already received a price estimate of $6,000 to loam the worse parts of the area.

Vice-Chair Ted Shane commented.

“If we are talking about irrigation, light and power, you want to bury that first. That should go in before the loam. We are not a state project: Put down the loam and dig it up to put in the pieces,” he said. “I would love to see that space green for the summer, but that won’t happen.”

Interim Town Manager Bill Giroux said that the main objective to the committee should be to put together the phased plan with solid prices.

That was the suggestion made by Selectman Colin Brackett earlier in the evening.

“My recommendation is that committee go back and come up with an overall plan of what to do with property,” he said. 

Garcia was aware of the Naples’ summer camp tent going up on the green, which was why the plantings won’t happen until the autumn.