Barre City River Access Master Plan
Since 2024, we have been working with DuBois & King to develop the Barre City River Access Master Plan, which is finally complete and ready to be shared! We worked closely with Barre Rivers Collective (formerly known as the Barre River Access Task Force) and Barre City along the way to ensure that our planning efforts were aligned with the interests and needs of the Barre community.
The goal of this Barre City River Access Master Plan is to remove barriers to the enjoyment of our rivers for all Barre residents and visitors. It is an inclusive master planning and design effort to improve and connect existing and potential river access sites, and to develop wayfinding and interpretive signs that highlight these features of the City.
This planning effort was funded by the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative and managed by Friends of the Winooski River on behalf of the Barre Rivers Collective. Through physical and cultural analysis of 18 initial sites, public engagement, guidance from a Steering Committee of local leaders and City staff, and project team of DuBois & King, this Master Plan documents the following:
- Public input from 4 engagement events;
- Access opportunities at 10 sites of an18 initial sites assessed;
- Illustrative site plans for 4 representative sites, with plan-view and section drawings; Cost estimates for these 4 representative sites;
- Dimensions and specifications for an integrated set of four signs for wayfinding and site-specific information; Location maps for 43 of these signs across the 10 access sites; Background narratives on history of 4 access sites;
- Design ideas for accessible seating, tables, and for native planting.
- Recommendations for the management of several non-native introduced plant species in the City; and
- Implementation strategies for championing this Master Plan and prioritizing next steps, including grant opportunities for funding.
Link to City Council presentation (starting at 26 minutes)
LINK TO SURVEY: Tell us which river access site you want to visit!