Park to open at Muckross in summer

The state hopes to open its first new park in 20 years next summer at Muckross, the home of the late Sen. Edgar May of Springfield.
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Published December 31, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Park to open at Muckross in summer By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — The state hopes to open its first new park in 20 years next summer at Muckross, the home of the late Sen. Edgar May of Springfield. Ethan Phelps, the regional parks manager for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said last week the actual transfer of May’s 200-acre home wouldn’t come until sometime in 2015. But he and Terry Carroll, an Americorps VISTA volunteer who is working on the project, said “some really exciting partnerships” were in place for the new state park. The two men gave an update on the plans for Muckross to the Springfield Select Board last week. Phelps said the priority for repairs to the estate, which had a lot of deferred maintenance, start with the road into the property, a bridge and the dam at the pond, and one of the buildings. The state hopes to get the small hydroelectric station operating, which last worked three years ago, he said. He said there were some trails and old logging roads on the 200 acres that will be donated to the state by May’s estate and his family that would be perfect for recreational use. He said the state hopes to hold four, one-week pilot camp programs next summer, starting July 13, with different age groups. He said the state was working in cooperation with the YMCA day camp that already exists in Springfield. “We’re trying to find out the best use of the park,” Carroll said. He said the state was working with River Valley Technical Center in Springfield as well, and hoped to tap into the students at Springfield High School, who must do 40 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. “They could do some of their volunteer hours in the park,” Phelps said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to prepare for the day camp.” The state has reached out to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock, as well as Springfield Town Library. The goal is to start “story walks ... to get little kids out in the park.” “That’s just a couple of the things we have planned,” Carroll said. Select Board member Stephanie Thompson said the state was working with her agency, the Springfield Family Center, about plans for the day camp and reaching out to children who would benefit from a camp. “It’s a great opportunity,” she said. Phelps said Muckross buildings are more than 100 years old, “and there are many years of deferred maintenance.” Phase One of the infrastructure repairs, which will be funded hopefully with some federal funds, will focus on the road, the dam, the pond and turning one of the buildings into a caretaker’s cottage. Phelps said he expects the title to transfer from May’s estate to the state in the spring. The financial impact of the loss of May’s home in terms of property taxes will be about $4,000, Phelps told the Select Board. The land was in current use, and May paid about $8,000 a year in taxes. The state’s PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, will pay the town about $4,000, Phelps said.