Pocket Park Opens in Montpelier, VT

MONTPELIER, Vermont, 9/26/03 – Today, Montpelier residents celebrated the opening of the city’s newest pocket park at an event attended by Governor Jim Douglas and other state and local officials. Located at the corner of Court and Elm Streets, the 1,700-square foot park is owned by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks and open space. TPL’s Vermont office is located in the 18th Century Judge Keith House, and the new park sits in front of the house at street level.

“This park is a testament to cooperation,” said TPL field office director David Houghton. “Several organizations, including the Vermont Downtown Program, City of Montpelier, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Capital Area Land Trust, and Montpelier Downtown Community Association, played critical roles in making this park a reality.”

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, a statewide nonprofit youth, service, conservation, and education organization, spent three weeks in July at the site, assisting with construction work. The park includes a wheelchair-accessible seating area, butterfly garden, and native plantings, and was designed by landscape architect Jean Vissering, with assistance from the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Terry Solomon of Alpine Landscape Company oversaw park construction.

The park’s construction was funded through a combination of grants and in-kind donations from several sources, including the Vermont Downtown Program, the City of Montpelier, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, private supporters, and TPL.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit organization conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect approximately 1.6 million acres of land in 45 states, including nearly 30,000 acres in Vermont. Currently, TPL is working to protect the 489-acre Mallory Brook property near the East Montpelier Elementary School. TPL depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our land for people mission. For more information, please contact TPL’s Montpelier office at (802) 223-1373 or visit www.tpl.org/vermont