PITTSFIELD – For 30 years or more, people in Pittsfield have talked about using the 10-acre Mill Pond in the center of town to its full potential.

At a community meeting Tuesday night, residents praised a proposal promoted by three of the town’s most respected men.

John Woodcock, a retired local veterinarian, Willard Lehr, founder of Lehr Insurance Agency, and Peter Vigue, president of Cianbro Corp., unveiled their vision for Mill Pond that includes creating a protected swimming area to replace the town’s antiquated, leaking swimming pool.

“This plan has everything in it that we have all dreamed about for years,” said state Rep. Bernard McGowan, a Pittsfield resident.

The plan would link the entire perimeter of the pond with a walking path, exercise stations, picnic areas and landscaping.

A lighted fountain would grace the center of the pond while providing aeration for water quality, and the pond would be dredged to remove silt and debris buildup.

But the centerpiece of the plan is a park and swimming area to be created on Sebasticook Street, where the Fendler family recently donated two acres to the town, specifically to be used as a park.

Vigue explained that the swimming area, called a swim front, would have a cement base, sloping gently into the pond and be encircled by aluminum floats for safety.

Swim lessons and general swimming would be held and the park space would include a kayak and canoe launching site, a bath house and picnic areas. Because the area would be lighted, it could also be used as an ice skating rink in winter months.

Several residents, however, questioned how such an ambitious project would affect the loons and herons that nest and fish in the pond.

“We, of course, would get the necessary agencies involved,” said Vigue. “We do not want to invade the wildlife areas or affect the loon habitat.”

Matt Bernier, founder of the Sebasticook River Watershed Association, suggested that the task force should think of the possibilities beyond the pond, upstream toward Waverly Dam.

He suggested there might “be a higher and better use” of town property by the dam that is now used as a town garage and for salt and sand storage. “We should think about linking the green space and creating a necklace of parks through the town,” he said.

Town Manager Kathryn Ruth said the concept will be brought to the town council as background for establishing a Mill Pond Task Force.

That group would be charged with researching the feasibility of the project, fine-tuning it, seeking funding and permitting opportunities.

Ruth said she has already met with federal officials about installing fishways in both Pioneer Dam, below Mill Pond, and Waverly Dam, upriver from the pond. If the dams were breached to allow fish access, there would be no Mill Pond, she acknowledged.

“But the federal officials have advised us to proceed with grant applications for fishways,” Ruth said. Fishways, such as the one recently installed in Newport, can often be nearly completely funded through state and federal agencies.

Other questions centered around how long such a project would take and would the town’s existing swimming pool last until it is completed.

Ruth said some temporary repairs would be made to the existing pool “to keep it open this year at least.” She also said there is $143,000 in a swimming pool reserve fund that could be seed money for the Mill Pond project.

Beyond that, Ruth said the project will be funded through grants, donations and volunteerism.