Rangeley is seeking further improvements to Town Cove Park and Oquossoc Park. Projects were recommended by the town parks commission after receiving feedback from the public on changes.

“The goal is for the town to have attractive and functional outdoor recreational facilities available to the public,” Town Manager Joe Roach said. “Public assets, including parks, need periodic renovations and capital improvements in addition to the day-to-day maintenance they receive.”

In recent years, the town completed a variety of projects. At Town Cove Park on Park Road, the Rangeley Parks Commission rebuilt its swim dock and added a boat dock. It refurbished its basketball and tennis courts and constructed a new playground. Security cameras were installed for additional safety.

In Oquossoc Park on Franklin Street, new recreational facilities were added, including basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, and drainage around the site.

At Town Cove Park, the town is seeking to construct a gazebo between the tennis and basketball courts. With $12,000 in this year’s budget, bids for the project are being solicited. Roach said it hasn’t attracted interest from any bidders yet.

“This is an 18-foot gazebo that will be based on the Haley Pond Park gazebo design,” Roach said in an email. “Using the same design elements in each park is intended to keep consistency between the locations.”

Also at Town Cove Park, the town hopes to add more slips for boaters to improve access to the park and the downtown district. Roach said it will also enhance the loading and unloading time of day-boaters by providing a larger staging area. He also noted that slip times are limited by park rules.

Three questions will be presented to voters at the June 9 town meeting: should money be approved for new boat slips at Town Cove Park; should the town embark on a $1.3 million improvement project for Town Cove and Oquossoc parks; should the town apply for a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to offset the cost of future projects.

In the longer term, the town will update lighting at its basketball and tennis courts to achieve dark sky compliance. At Oquossoc Park, the town is seeking to improve drainage in its green space. The town will improve parking and add a sidewalk along Franklin Street and improve signs for consistency. These improvements will take two to three years to complete.

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