2022-08-17-REC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4. Liaison Report The August Liaison Report is attached to the meeting minutes. The warrant for Special Town Meeting will be voted on at the September 12th Select Board meeting. Special Town Meeting is scheduled to take place from November 1st-3rd and while it will be held remotely, Cary Hall will be open for Town Meeting Members who want to be in person. Lisa O’Brien, liaison to the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC), reported that the LPSC has not met throughout the summer and the next meeting will be held in September. 5. Athletic Feasibility Study – Weston & Sampson Ryan Chmielewski and Evan Andrikos from Weston & Sampson gave a presentation on the 2021-2022 Comprehensive Study of Athletic & Outdoor Recreation Facilities and a copy of the presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Chmielewski reminded the Committee that this project was borne out of Town Meeting not approving to contribute towards the Minuteman High School sports complex project as citizens were unclear if a complex of that magnitude was needed based on the available athletic facilities and demand at that time. Mr. Chmielewski provided an overview of the key findings from the study. The Town of Lexington has a deficiency in available field hours. This is due to several factors such as poor field drainage, excessive use of the fields due to increased participation rates, field lighting not being maximized at Lincoln Park, and scheduling conflicts resulting from the shift in school start times. As a result, this leads to frustration among the various user groups. There is a deficiency of 6,100 hours in available field hours, 21,600 available field hours as compared to 27,700 field use hours that are needed each year. To sustain good field conditions, the Town has a field shortage of one large rectangle field and fourteen small rectangle fields based on current usage. Excessive use is due to robust participation, multi-season play, and multiple sports being played simultaneously. Lighting the synthetic turf fields at Lincoln Park is cost effective and it is recommended to install lights and extend the shut off time at these fields. Mr. Chmielewski then discussed the action plan, which included a review of items for immediate implementation and high-priority initiatives. One recommendation is to rest three fields each year when planning the capital project cycle. Four concept plans were reviewed (Harrington A, Harrington B, Harrington C, and Clarke) and there are others in the final report. At this point, members of the Committee had the opportunity to make comments and ask questions. Claire Sheth asked when the Lexington Public Schools central administration building would be demolished and Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, indicated that a date for that still needs to be determined. Renen Bassik questioned whether any of the recommendations should be reprioritized based on the field deficiencies. Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee brought up the new Lexington High School construction project and implored that the recreational resources are as important to the quality of life in Lexington as the bricks and mortar of the buildings, including the schools. Ms. Sheth asked if it would be possible to project what the loss of field space at the Center Recreation Complex would do to worsen the current field deficiency. Mr. Chmielewski estimated that it would add 2,400 hours to the field deficit and Ms. Battite added that this is something the department can work with Weston & Sampson on since this would outside of the scope of the athletic fields feasibility study. Ms. Sheth acknowledged that the field deficit will change dramatically with the LHS construction project and Mr. DeAngelis added that creating a severe field shortage would not be a great way to plan given how sophisticated Lexington is as a community. Lisa O’Brien asked about the feasibility of doing a land swap with the Lexington Public Schools. Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, reported that staff and the consultant met with staff from the Conservation Department to review potential improvements and that several sites have been ruled out for the time being due to conservation concerns, such as the 100-year and 500-year flood planes that exist throughout town. Mr. Bassik inquired about accessibility and Mr.