The appearance of a proposed concessions and bathroom facility that would be erected on the grounds of Burr’s Hill Park (west of the Band Shell) has caused a strong reaction online, with the consensus being that the building’s design clashes with the aesthetic of the area and should not be moved forward.

The backlash, which can be seen on various community pages on Facebook following the posting of the rendering seen in this article, has been significant enough to warrant a public outreach session to hear out concerns and possibly brainstorm a new approach. That meeting is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Town Council chambers at Town Hall (second floor), and all members of the public interested in the topic are encouraged to attend.

The proposed project has been managed by Parks and Recreation Department Director Tara Thibaudeau, who received Town Council approval this past October to contract a design plan from Bristol-based company Addaspace — which specializes in constructing resilient, multi-use structures out of repurposed metal storage containers.

The project’s origins track back to a $400,000 Rhode Island Department of Environment Management (DEM) grant that was received back in 2019 for the purposes or making improvements to Burr’s Hill Park, which was one of the major goals identified back in 2018 when the town went through a needs assessment process.

Some of that grant has gone to purchasing playground equipment that is scheduled to be installed in April at the Town Beach, but the $343,203 left in the grant — along with $160,000 in a capital budget set aside by the town — is to be utilized on a new building to house a concessions stand, bathrooms, and additional utility space for the Parks and Recreation Department.

The onset of Covid delayed the planning of the project indefinitely, before picking back up again last fall. Thibaudeau said in a recent interview that the $500,000 cost limit for the structure is what originally attracted the town to Addaspace’s proposal, which she said costed less than other concepts they had looked into that represented a more traditional type of building structure.

“When we looked at how much money we had to spend and what we had to do, especially in this market at this current time, this proposal was the most bang for our buck,” she said.

Thibaudeau also said that the Addaspace structure would be more resistant to weather and vandalism than a traditionally-constructed building, and that she felt those concerns remain prudent. The location of the proposed building is a bit more rigid, considering it must be elevated high enough to be out of the area’s flood plane.

Thibaudeau said she was looking forward to hearing public input on the proposal, and that nothing has been decided as of yet.

“I don’t want the neighbors to think that it’s not open for discussion. It is. This is a significant amount of money and we want to make sure we’re spending it correctly,” she said. “This impacts many people, so we want to hear from them.”

Comments mostly negative online
The majority of online discussion around the structure has taken place on the “You’re probably from Warren, RI if…” Facebook group, which has an active community of over 2,600 users. The rendering showing the proposed design has been posted twice, and garnered over 200 comments from members of the group.

“This is my opinion, but I hope many of you agree. This does not belong at Burr's Hill,” wrote Butch Lombardi, one of the group’s administrators who posted the rendering first. “We are trying to re-imagine Warren as a small, quaint, colonial, bay-side community. Many of our older homes are being brought back to their original colonial charm. Burr's Hill Is our bayside showpiece park. How in the world does a facility that looks like it was just dropped off a container ship belong anywhere in Warren — much less Burr's Hill? Would the town allow this to be built anywhere else in town? I don't think so.”

“Hardly an appropriate structure for a former Pokanoket burial ground,” wrote Andrew Whipple in a response to Lombardi’s post.
Some had mixed thoughts.

“They are pretty cool but definitely not for a historic waterfront,” wrote Nora Jencks.

Peppered throughout the negativity were a few positive comments, though squarely in a vast minority.

“Great idea!” wrote Dianna Costa. “Containers are being reused and they will hold up to the weather!”

Others commented that the structure might have potential if siding and roofing was added to the containers, or if it was creatively implemented with curated murals — something that Thibaudeau said she had considered and thought would be possible. She said to keep in mind that drastically changing the structure’s outward appearance with additional options like siding would, naturally, increase the price.

“I think it could work, I just think we may need to put a little more thought process into it, and with that comes money,” she said.