Memorial Park redesign heads for its final stages

MARBLEHEAD – Recreation and Parks Commission members are fine-tuning their plans for the new design of Memorial Park this month.Landscape architect Matt Ulrich is redesigning the downtown Marblehead park, which commemorates the town?s war dead, and the commission is giving his ideas careful consideration.?(The commission is) still narrowing down some last-minute changes,” said Recreation and Parks Superintendent Brendan Egan.Egan said the commission and Ulrich hope to have “a more complete plan” at their next scheduled meeting Tuesday, Sept. 20.The triangular 1/3-of-an-acre park between Pleasant and Essex streets has north and south sections, containing differently-designed monuments. Ulrich?s initial design continued the park?s present layout, with a circular path inside another circular path and the tall granite monument listing the dead of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War at the very center.Short paths lead from Pleasant Street and Essex Street to the circles. Ulrich suggested columns alongside the street entrances to the paths, along with a hedge along the south boundary to block a visitor?s view of a new parking lot and trees to block the view of nearby buildings. A new evergreen in one corner of the park could be used as a holiday decoration.Commissioners are planning to raise money for the park plantings by naming benches and trees for Marbleheaders, in exchange for donations.