We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. We were drawn to Essex because it is a family-friendly community with deep-rooted town pride. Naturally, we were excited when we learned that the concession stand and facilities at Hubbard Park were being upgraded to better serve Little League players and their families, but our hearts sank when we saw the additional plans: an asphalt and gravel parking lot. This is puzzling since parking is only needed for a handful of days each year when families currently park on the grass lawn. Sadly, under this plan, most of Hubbard Park’s expansive green space stands to be removed.

We have lived in big cities and small towns across the United States, and in all of these communities, citizens, nonprofits, and municipal governments were collaborating to reclaim green space in efforts to foster healthier, more vibrant communities, a practice known as depaving. These folks knew that people explore nature in large parks, families sit for picnics in pocket parks, and kids play pick-up games in town parks like our Hubbard Park. Given the forward-thinking nature of Essex and our neighbors, we were surprised these plans feature such stale ideas.

Let’s be proud of the legacy we leave for the future generations of Essex. Visit keephubbardparkgreen.com to see an alternate plan for reinforced turf parking that retains a grass play space when cars are absent. You can also sign a petition on the website, and please consider coming to Town Hall on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. to advocate for keeping Hubbard Park green.

This is a charming, historic town, but paved parking at the expense of green space is one idea we can leave in the past.

Wesley Henry

Adam Swinney

Essex