Franklin accepts grant, seeks project to promote water park

FRANKLIN — Having formally accepted a federal grant that will boost efforts to create a whitewater park in Franklin, the city has turned to local residents for projects that would help to promote it.

The City Council accepted a Land and Water Conservation Grant last Monday that provides $200,000 – with Franklin Savings Bank kicking in another $200,000 in matching funds – to help establish Mill City Park, a whitewater recreational area taking advantage of the Class IV rapids of the Winnipesaukee River. Intended to appeal to spectators as much as kayakers, the park would include a covered pavilion. The grant allows the city to purchase two parcels of land alongside the river, where the pavilion would be located, and a timber framer will teach students how to erect the structure.

City Manager Judie Milner is also putting up her personal money as an incentive for residents to submit ideas for a community project that focuses on downtown recreation. She plans to award $100 to the person who comes up with the best proposal.

"We are at the brink on these projects we've been working on for several years," Milner said, "and now we're ready to start asking for investments to move them forward."

She said the Downtown Economic Development Steering Committee, of which she is a member, has been doing a lot of work on marketing and rebranding the city.

"We think that, in order for us to have a strong case with a private investor or federal grantor, we need to have a project the community gets behind to show our support," Milner said. "So I thought, why not ask the people for something impactful, that shows support for the whitewater park, that might become iconic for us? I'm an accountant, so I don't have ideas, but I figured there are way more creative people than me."

Milner had received three submissions as of Friday. She said the steering committee is looking to review suggestions on Feb. 7, and may keep the entries open beyond that.

In addition to promoting community involvement in the project, Milner is hoping it will catch the attention of potential donors who would provide additional financial support for the park, the brainchild of Marty Parichand, owner of Outdoor New England.

Parichand partnered with the city to get the project off the ground with a $170,000 grant from United States Economic Development Administration and a two-year commitment from Franklin Savings Bank to provide $125,000 per year toward the project’s success. Service Credit Union followed with a $6,000 grant, and the Capital Regional Development Council gave $5,000.

Mike Harvey, who designed the nation’s first whitewater park in Salida, Colorado, and now operates Recreation Engineering and Planning, has been retained to design the Franklin project. Peter Walker of VHB in Bedford is assisting in project planning, which includes reconfiguring portions of the river to provide a better flow for recreational use, while also providing a community garden, public bathrooms, picnic areas, and other amenities to promote hiking, climbing, and mountain biking.

There also will be an educational component, focusing on the mills that once used the river for power. Remains of several mills lie along the river, and the areas are being cleaned up and prepared as historic sites to teach visitors about the role they once played.

The stretch of river between the Cross Mill bridge and downtown Franklin has long been an attraction to kayakers, and there is a longstanding tradition of doing a New Year’s Day paddle in the icy waters. The whitewater park would expand upon that tradition.

Milner has asked that suggestions for community projects be submitted online or mailed to City Manager, 316 Central St., Franklin NH 03235.

Franklin also has an upcoming fundraiser for the whitewater park at the city-owned Veterans Memorial Recreation Area. The Boat Bash Snow Crash is scheduled for Saturday, March 2, at the recreation area, with racers, sledders, and — yes — kayakers taking part in races down the ski slopes.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with prizes for best time, head-to-head, fastest in miles per hour, and best costume. Kettlehead Brewing will have a beer tent, and there will be music from 2-7 p.m., with an awards ceremony at the end.

For more information on the Boat Bash Snow Crash, see http://millcitypark.com/events/2019boatbash.