City Plans Prescott Park Ground Site Testing in Preparation for Prescott Park Master Plan Implementation

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works is planning to dig three five-foot, by five-foot, by five-foot “test pits” at Prescott Park this week, as part of the investigatory engineering required to implement the Prescott Park Master Plan. The work will be conducted in conjunction with a soils scientist designated by the project consultant Weston and Sampson Engineers and an archaeologist. The work will start at 9 am (weather-permitting) and the pits will be dug and filled in one work day. The area will be fenced off as a safety precaution.

In 2019, Weston and Sampson Engineers performed the preliminary engineering work to complete the first phase of the Master Plan design. They completed a topographical survey of the Park, a survey of the underground utility infrastructure and an assessment of the historic buildings. In addition, they completed a tidal inundation study to establish resiliency goals for the upgraded park. These initial enabling engineering tasks advanced the project to its current status.  

The current Blue Ribbon Committee, appointed in May 2020 to oversee this work and recommend future phasing and design details for City Council consideration, continues to work with DPW and Weston and Sampson on the next steps for Phase One in the implementation of the Master Plan detailed in the City’s Capital Improvement Program.

For more on the Prescott Park Master Plan Implementation Committee, click here.