John Ford Park is roughly 58 acres, giving it ample room for a wide range of uses to coexist comfortably. Of the park’s approximately 14 acres of meadow, the course and its associated walking paths would use less than 1 acre — about 7% of the meadow area — based on the town engineer’s presentation. Disc golf courses are low-impact by design: routine maintenance is limited to standard grass mowing, and there’s no need for chemical treatments, irrigation systems, or heavy equipment. The paths created for the course would be multiuse, welcoming dog walkers and other park visitors alongside disc golfers, and by concentrating foot traffic onto defined paths, the course would actually reduce informal trampling into the meadow’s more sensitive areas.
The woodlands were also suggested as an alternative site. After review, this doesn’t appear to be a viable option: routing fairways through the woods would require removing a meaningful number of trees, which we believe would have a greater environmental impact than mowing a small portion of meadow grass.
Beyond the environmental considerations, I think this course would be a wonderful amenity for Easton. It’s designed as a beginner-friendly, 18-hole short course, easily accessible on foot, bike, or skateboard via the Rails to Trails, and welcoming to visitors of all ages and skill levels. Increased, positive activity in the park can also help address existing concerns about encampments in the wooded areas, since well-used public spaces naturally discourage that kind of activity. And should the town ever decide the course isn’t the right fit, it can be removed quickly, with the park returning to its natural state.
We have no plans to expand beyond this initial footprint; it is intended strictly as a community and beginner-focused course. Any tournaments or larger events would go through the town for approval, and we’d welcome the opportunity to direct any proceeds back into the park — for example, through a meadow conservation fund or general park maintenance.
Our deep appreciation for this lovely park motivates our desire to ensure its continued existence and enjoyment for many future years. We are, in essence, all dedicated supporters and friends of Ford Park.
One Response
Here’s a thought. Seems to be a quite a few people are against changing Ford Park. The county owned Mt Pleasant practice field is under underused, unfortunatetly & is a blank canvass with few trees. Yet the county still has to maintain the multi acre land.
How about the county gifting the land to the town with the idea it will be used as a disk gold course?
The county loses the maintenance, & the town gains some open space for the course