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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-04-21-REC-min us MOg ITIS G Town of Lexington �w = Recreation Committee s V APRIL Pr �FXINGI-V Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Lisah Rhodes,Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Lisa O'Brien Francesca Pfrommer Christian Boutwell Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting April 21, 2021 A virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, April 21,2021 at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Christian Boutwell,Lisa O'Brien, and Francesca Pfrommer Staff Present: Melissa Battite,Director of Recreation and Community Programs,Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean,Community Center Director,Chris Filadoro,DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds,and Thomas Romano,Youth and Family Program Coordinator Others Present: Suzie Barry(Select Board liaison), Henry Berker(25 Charles Street, Lexington), Romain Blanchard(17 Sutherland Road), Ellen Cameron(Council on Aging liaison), Alex Flack(Lexington Farmers' Market), Sandra Jahnes (34 Baker Avenue, Lexington), Eileen Jay(School Committee liaison), Suzanne Lau(18 Phinney Road, Lexington), Joe Pato (Select Board member), Tom Shiple (18 Phinney Road, Lexington), Leslie Wilcott-Henrie (Lexington Farmers' Market), and Meghan and Michael Wilson(5 Aerial Street, Lexington) 1. March 17,2021 Minutes Lisa O'Brien moved and Christian Boutwell seconded the approval of the minutes from the March 17'meeting. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve the March 17 minutes. 2. Public Comment Tom Shiple,resident of 18 Phinney Road, offered some comments on the Center Bathrooms renovation project. First,having all gender-neutral bathrooms is logical and could reduce square footage. Second, the need for increased storage capabilities is not addressed in the current designs. Third, Mr. Shiple recommended that shelter space be created at the facility, similar to the overhang at the Lincoln Park restrooms, to provide shelter during a thunderstorm or downpour. Lastly, Mr. Shiple questioned that while it would cost more,whether it would make more sense to rebuild from scratch to properly satisfy the needs of the community. Francesca Pfrommer informed the Committee that she has been thinking about her personal and professional responsibilities in recent weeks and has decided that once her current term ends in May, she will not be applying for another term. Ms.Pfrommer is willing to serve on the Committee through the summer until a replacement has been named. Members of the Committee expressed their appreciation to Ms.Pfrommer for the passion,tenacity,insight,knowledge, and enthusiasm she has demonstrated as a member of the Committee and explained that her presence will certainly be missed. Suzie Barry, Select Board liaison,thanked Ms.Pfrommer for her commitment over the past three years. 2 Lisa O'Brien provided the Committee with an update on the emails that have been received in the Recreation Committee inbox over the past month. Items include such things as reconsideration of snow removal at Lincoln Park, Sutherland playground replacement,installing lights at the Skate Park,installing a small mountain bike jump in town,the tennis practice boards at Center, and a memorial plaque for Lisa George-Cox,who served as a track and field coach at Lexington High School. This update will be added as a standing agenda item at future meetings. 3. Membership—Lincoln Park Sub-Committee Lisa O'Brien reported that the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC)met on Tuesday, March 30th During the meeting, the LPSC voted 6-0 to approve the committee members and their terms. A copy of the committee member terms are attached to the meeting minutes. After voted on by the Recreation Committee, this information will be sent to the Town Clerk. Lisa O'Brien made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to approve the Lincoln Park Sub- Committee committee member terms as listed: o Christina Burwell December 2023 o Brian Kelley December 2021 o Robert Pressman December 2023 o Joanne Shorter December 2021 o David Williams, Chair December 2022 (Mr. Williams will be stepping down fi^om his role as Chair within a few months, but remain a member of the committee) o Lynne Wilson December 2022" Lisah Rhodes seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 4. Request for Windscreens at Center Recreation Field 1 (Cl) Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee,presented a proposal to install windscreens on the outfield fence at the Center 91 Baseball Field and a copy of the proposal is attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. DeAngelis provided an overview of his love affair with baseball and Center 91. He founded Lexington Babe Ruth in 1984 and spearheaded the campaign to have lights installed at Center 91 in 1997. When Center 91/92 was renovated approximately ten years ago, the temporary outfield fence that was there was replaced with a semi-permanent fence. In Mr. DeAngelis's opinion,windscreens would really make the field look special. The windscreens would be designed to reflect the contributions of Lexington High School baseball, Lexington Babe Ruth, and Lexington Blue Sox and they would be a great addition to Center 91 as this field is used by Lexington youth ages 13-19 in addition to the Blue Sox players. There would be no intention to commercialize the windscreens. In looking at the plan, Francesca Pfrommer stated that the windscreens should be symmetrical and Mr. DeAngelis stated that the layout can be adjusted to reflect that. He added that the windscreens have an expected life of 10 years and would be taken down at the end of each season to prevent them from deteriorating prematurely. After a brief conversation,Francesca Pfrommer made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to approve the request fi^om the baseball programs of the Lexington Blue Sox, Lexington Babe Ruth, and the Lexington High School baseball boosters to collaboratively pay for a windscreen and care for its installation on the Center 91 Baseball Field. The windscreen will only contain the logos of the three baseball organizations and it will be displayed on the ou�fleld fence at Center 91 each year fi^om approximately April P-August 25`"." Lisa O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0-1 to approve this motion. 5. Old Reservoir Bathhouse Capital Project Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs,provided on the renovation of the Old Reservoir bathhouse. The initial bid results came in over-budget and staff have been 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3 working with DPW and the Facilities Department to review costs and consider different options. One such alternative would be to install a pre-fabricated building that is manufactured by CXT. Information about the CXT pre-fab buildings is attached to the meeting minutes. CXT offers a handful of designs, one of which is customized. The Recreation Department in Hudson, MA recently had a CXT structured delivered and installed at one of their facilities and staff from the Facilities Department has visited the site to become familiar with the process. Ms. Battite indicated that moving to this style of building would be a cost savings. She recently met with Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator, to identify the location. If this type of structure is chosen,it will be installed closer to the Bridge School and would require the existing building to be demolished. This location would also reduce the length of tel/data into the building as well as the ADA pathways. If the pre-fab building is a viable option,it would go before the other Town decision makers such as the Community Preservation Committee and the Select Board. Jim Malloy, Town Manager,is in favor of this approach as he believes it is both sensible and economical. Committee members asked a series of questions. There would be outdoor showers as indoor showers would not be required per the health code. Francesca Pfrommer stated that while the building should be easy to maintain,it will also need to stand up to the use. If the location of the building is moved, the swimming area and placement of lifeguards would be adjusted accordingly. Christian Boutwell expressed his support for this concept and asked if this could be an option at other recreational fields and facilities in the future. Lisah Rhodes also voiced her support for this idea. After the question/answer period ended, Francesca Pfrommer made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves that the Recreation and Community Programs Department, the Department of Public Facilities, and the Department of Public Works continues to pursue its investigation of a pre fabricated concrete structure as a viable option for the Old Reservoir bathhouse." Christian Boutwell seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 6. Lexington Farmers' Market permit update Leslie Wilcott-Henrie presented an update on the Farmers' Market preparing to operate at the Worthen Road practice field this year and a copy of the request to the Committee is attached to the meeting minutes. The three items to be added to the Special Event Permit up for consideration are a storage shed,banners, and the alcohol use policy. Ms. Wilcott-Henrie explained that a storage shed is needed for the supplies. The dimensions would be 9' x 12' and it would be located on flat ground by the access path. She added that the shed would be made of wood for added durability and that it would be assembled onsite on top of a foundation of cinder blocks and plywood once delivered. The Farmers' Market logo will be painted on the shed in an attempt to reduce curiosity. With the practice field being used by the Lexington High School football and girls ultimate frisbee teams, there will be a high level of communication with LHS Athletics throughout the season. Ms.Wilcott-Henrie added that the shed could be moved if it is not needed once the Farmers' Market moves back to Fletcher Park. Regarding the item of banners,the Farmers' Market is looking to have something permanently at the site and requested hanging a banner on the back fence that abuts the football field, facing Worthen Road. The proposed banner dimensions are 8' x 3.5'and both single banner and double banner options are being considered. Members of the Committee communicated their preference of having multiple banners at the site and were comfortable with having the banner dimensions be larger than proposed. That way, the promotion of alternative payment methods could be highlighted. Based on this feedback, Ms. Wilcott-Henrie agreed that having bigger, separate banners would be preferable. Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, emphasized the importance of properly securing the banners as not to cause any long-term damage to the fence. In addition to the banners, a sandwich board will be displayed at Fletcher 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 Park from two weeks before opening through the entire season, a sign outside of Eastern Bank will also mention the relocation, and additional signage will be set-up on the day-of each Tuesday. For the alcohol use policy, as permitted by the Town of Lexington and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the Farmers' Market requested a continuation of the alcohol sales policy. Ms.Wilcott-Henrie indicated that the market is looking to sell hard cider and mead (honey wine). She added that there would be no sampling due to COVID,no consumption onsite, and no sales to anyone under the age of 21. Melissa Battite reiterated to the Committee that this is a special event permit through the Town,not just a permit for an athletic field and that both she and Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director,will continue to work with Ms. Wilcott-Henrie on the details. After a lengthy discussion,Rick DeAngelis and Francesca Pfrommer jointly made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to approve the proposal submitted by the Lexington Farmers'Market and to add the following items to the special event permit: 1. the inclusion of a storage shed in the location identified on the Google map, consistent with the specs and plans that were shown to the Recreation Committee. The Recreation and Community Programs Department staff will oversee the size and placement of the logo on the shed, which is intended to be on one side of the shed and consistent with the logo included on the presentation materials; 2. the installation of up to two windscreen banners on the fence that separates the Crumb Football Field from the Worthen Road practice field. The size and location of the banner(s)will be determined by the Recreation and Community Programs Department staff, in partnership with the Lexington Farmers'Market, and 3. an exception will be made to the alcohol policy for this special event permit so alcohol can be sold at the Lexington Farmers'Market as permitted by the Select Board. The Recreation and Community Programs Department will advise the Lexington Public Schools and other Town departments that this is occurring." Lisah Rhodes seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 7. Sutherland Park—additional play elements Melissa Battite provided an update on where things stand with the Sutherland playground replacement. The current structure is 21 years old and this project is part of the 5-year capital plan. The decision for the new playground was based on what would best fit the needs of the community. At previous Recreation Committee meetings and through emails, concerns about the lack of play equipment for older children was expressed. In recent months, staff have been working with M.E. O'Brien& Sons, the playground designer, to see if there would be a way to introduce play elements for older children at a different part of the park. The area that is being considered is the space between the swing set and basketball court. There is a large rock in this area and it is uncertain how big and deep it is. Options include working around it or excavating the rock entirely. Some conceptual plans of potential play elements are attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Battite stated that the chairperson of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC)is in favor of bringing the request for additional funding to Special Town Meeting in the fall. She added that the best part of the project has been the input,whether it be letters or sketches, she has received from children and their overall interest and involvement in the project. Sandra Jahnes,resident of 34 Baker Avenue, extended a big "Thank You"for continuing the efforts surrounding this project and indicated that the proposed play elements have been well- received by the neighborhood. Ms.Jahnes added that she was excited to continue the conversation and was looking forward to working together. 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 5 Francesca Pfrommer did express how this process gives her pause and she felt good about the initial process. Ms.Pfrommer added that it is important to be mindful about equity across neighborhoods and town. Ms. Battite reminded the Committee that the Community Needs Assessment is to be used as a tool moving forward and that all assets within each park will not be the same. While Sutherland has a grassy piece of land that could be utilized to incorporate play structures for older children, a playground replacement does not necessarily mean a park overhaul. Rick DeAngelis voiced his support for taking a pause to get more information before determining what the next steps will be. Francesca Pfrommer reiterated that it is the Committee's Job to keep the play structures and community safe and that the issues are talked about at public meetings and posted in meeting agendas. She added that the dozen of backyard toys demonstrated that younger children were using the park. Christian Boutwell stated his desire to have more data before a decision is made and thought it would be best to continue the discussion at the May meeting. At this point,in conjunction, Rick DeAngelis, Francesca Pfrommer, and Christian Boutwell made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee requests that the Recreation and Community Programs Department staff proceeds with gathering more information about the project scope and cost estimates for the potential of additional play elements at Sutherland Park. Once provided, the Recreation Committee will review this information and the capital improvement project priorities in a global context prior to finalizing its decision about whether to proceed with a request for additional funding at the Fall 2021 Special Town Meeting." Lisa O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 8. Liaison Reports The April 2021 Liaison Reports are attached to the meeting minutes. 9. Recreation & Community Programs &Parks Report The April 2021 Recreation&Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. The next virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 19"at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. The April 21",, 2021 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9:44pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • Lincoln Park Sub-Committee Member Terms • Request for Windscreens at the Center#1 Baseball Field • Information on CXT Concrete Buildings • Lexington Farmers' Market Request • Concept Plans for Potential Add-On Play Equipment at Sutherland Park • April 2021 Liaison Reports • April 2021 Recreation &Community Programs Report • Community Needs Assessment Working Groups—April 2021 Updates 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421