Beacon’s Conservation Advisory Committee is a busy committee whose mission is “advising the Planning Board and the City Council on matters affecting the preservation, development and use of the natural and man-made features in the City.” Currently, they are looking for public input on open green spaces, and the online survey ends on October 30, 2021.

Early on, they were reviewing Beacon’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan and formed recommendations for the 2017 version. They spearheaded Beacon’s opposition to the proposed Danskammker Energy plant in 2019 under Mayor Randy Casale.

As of June, 2019, was appointed Beacon’s Climate Smart Task Force by the City Council. This task force is headed by the City of Beacon’s Climate Smart Coordinator, Faye Leone. Initially, Eleanor Peck held the position. The task force keeps tabs on what Beacon is doing climate-wise, and from that data, goes to apply for grants that Beacon works to qualify for.

Public Input Wanted About Open Spaces And Usage Of Those Spaces

The committee is seeking the public’s input about current open spaces in Beacon, and how they are used. They are also seeking help to identify where those spaces area. In addition to well-known ones, like Memorial Park, you may be aware of a smaller space that is off the radar, but needs protection.

Among other things, the survey asks,

• When you want to be outside, where do you go? What do you like to do?

• What are the barriers keeping you from visiting Beacon’s parks and open spaces?

• What might make Beacon’s open space more accessible, inclusive, or equitable?

Take the survey here.

How Is An Green And Open Space Defined For This Survey?

According to the survey: “Green and open space is land that is not developed for residential, commercial, industrial or institutional use. Green and open space may be publicly or privately-owned, can serve many purposes, and can range in size. Some examples of green and open spaces are parks, playgrounds, ball courts, community gardens, mountains, and forests.”

Who Is On The Conservation Advisory Committee?

As of now, the following people are on the Conservation Advisory Committee, with vacancy:

Nicole Wooten, 2022
Antony Tseng, 2022
Phillip Stamatis, 2022
Eleanor Peck, 2022
Vacancy, 2022
Sam Adels, 2021
Carinda Swann, 2021
Sergei Krasikov, 2022 *Chair
Vacancy, 2022

You can take the online survey here, which ends on October 30, 2021.