Name Change Proposed for Planned Long Beach Park

A new Long Beach park proposed for the area near Marine Stadium won’t be built until next year, but already there’s a request to change the name.

The Marine Advisory Commission asked that Fieldstone Park be renamed Dunster Memorial Park in honor of Jack Dunster, a Marine Advisory commissioner who died a year ago.

Dunster was instrumental in getting the natural habitat park approved and hammered out differences between the city and residents.

Originally, the city wanted to install playing fields, playground equipment and picnic tables on the three-acre spot at the end of Boathouse Lane. But the neighbors said it would generate too much traffic.

Now the park will have a floating dock and benches to observe the animals living in the marshy land. The park will cost about $850,000. The Fieldstone Co., which has built a number of homes in the area, is required to pay $227,000 of the cost.

This week, the City Council sent the issue to the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee for study.