DEM worker William Becton operates a leaf blower at Haines Memorial State Park in Barrington, one of the state-owned recreational properties being explored for possible public-private partnership opportunities.

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The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

PROVIDENCE — Saying he wanted to explore “what maybe-might-possibly-could occur,” the director of the Department of Environmental Management said yesterday he wants to explore ways that businesses and organizations could help pay for the maintenance and improvement of some state-owned recreational properties.

In exchange, the companies and organizations could be granted the opportunity to make money off the land.

By a unanimous vote, the State Properties Committee gave DEM chief W. Michael Sullivan its blessing for exploratory “requests for information” about such “potential public/private partnership opportunities.”

Sullivan named six properties: the golf course at Goddard Memorial State Park, in Warwick; Haines Memorial State Park, in Barrington; Beach Pond, in Exeter, World War II Memorial State Park, in Woonsocket, and two spots in Narragansett — Jerusalem, across the Point Judith breachway from Galilee, and Salty Acres, a 20-acre parcel next to Fishermen’s Memorial State Park.

At Goddard Park, the golf course “has no irrigation system. It has ancient equipment,” Sullivan said in an interview after the meeting. “For us to maintain or upgrade it would take a lot of money — six figures or more. But a private partner can amortize [the cost] over a time frame that we can’t.”

If the DEM tried to set up such agreements, the agency would have to develop formal requests for proposals for specific parcels. Those requests would also have to be approved by the State Properties Committee.

Sullivan stressed that, under such agreements, the state would lose no control over the property.

“You would share responsibility,” he said. “I’m not the least bit interested in compromising any of the public values” of the facilities.

At Haines Park, he told the committee, “you have 350 to 400 feet of [waterfront] frontage, a very well-engineered, well-designed public boat ramp with handicapped accessibility, and complete and total public access that’s not negotiable. But say the marina to the south wanted to expand by a pier or two. In exchange for that frontage, what are you willing to give the public? Are you willing to have an additional pier for the public to expand pier fishing opportunities?” In such cases, the issue of continued public access would not be open to negotiation, he said.

Earlier this year, the DEM tried to hand off World War II Memorial Park to the City of Woonsocket.

The city, citing financial problems, said it didn’t want it.

The DEM stopped maintaining it anyway. Trash collected and grass went uncut. And after the lifeguards for the park pond disappeared, there was one drowning and one man suffered severe neck and head injuries diving into the shallow water.

At that point, the DEM brought in a lifeguard and fresh staff.

Two years ago, the DEM considered, but ultimately rejected, a proposal to give control of 70 acres of Haines to the town.

Barrington officials and athletic league officials wanted to fence off part of the area, add ball fields and make other improvements. The project would have cost $2 million.

The DEM rejected the proposal after deciding it would violate the terms of the 1915 property deed that gave the park to the state.

Philip C. Page, president of HainesWatch, which works to preserve the Barrington park and lobbied against the proposal to add ball fields, said the organization “would oppose any development that allowed any portion of the park to be commercialized, such as the expansion of Cove Haven Marina or construction of concession stands, which someone suggested at one time.

“We feel very strongly about leaving the park the way it is,” he said. “There’s wonderful public access right now.”

gemery@projo.com