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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-19-REC-min us MOg ITIS h�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 May 19,2021 A virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Christian Boutwell, and Lisa O'Brien Members Absent: Francesca Pfrommer Staff Present: Melissa Battite,Director of Recreation and Community Programs,Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director,Dave Pinsonneault,DPW Director,Melinda Spencer,Administrative Manager, and Hayato Tsurumaki,Recreation Supervisor Others Present: Suzie Barry(Select Board liaison), Michael Broderick(8 Pine Knoll Road, Lexington), Ellen Cameron (Council on Aging liaison), Dongling Chen(Parker Street, Lexington), Howard Cloth(19 Sherman Street Unit 91, Lexington), Alexandra Cox(8014 Main Campus Drive, Lexington), Jacqy Fiore (73 Laconia Street, Lexington), Scott Gilbert(21 Fletcher Avenue,Lexington), Anna Haynes, William Hubner(1620 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington), Eileen Jay(School Committee liaison), Adam Kalai(45 Parker Street, Lexington),Nancy Lattimore (5 Jackson Court, Lexington), Emmett O'Brien(Lexington High School track coach), Richard Petrasso (39 Parker Street, Lexington), and Ruth Thomas (10 Parker Street, Lexington) 1. April 21,2021 Minutes Christian Boutwell moved and Lisah Rhodes seconded the approval of the minutes from the March 17'meeting. The Recreation Committee voted 3-0 to approve the April 21 minutes. 2. Public Comment—none 3. Recreation & Community Programs &Parks Report The May 2021 Recreation &Community Programs Report and the Path to RECovery: Restoration of Services—2021 are attached to the meeting minutes. Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee,recommended that the Committee meet twice a month for the next few months where items associated with reopening, such as governmental orders and health ordinances,would only be discussed during the second meeting. While there was support for this approach, members wondered if the additional meetings could be scheduled on an as-needed basis. The conversation on this topic will be continued at the June Recreation Committee meeting. After a brief discussion, Christian Boutwell made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee approves the unplementation of coronavirus rollback measures as determined by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Lexington Board of Health, and other 2 governmental organizations." Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 3-0 to approve this motion. 4. Liaison Reports The May 2021 Liaison Reports are attached to the meeting minutes. Suzie Barry, liaison from the Select Board,reported that the Fund for Lexington will provide support for the annual scholarship request as well as approving a request to pay for the rental of a tent in the Community Center rear parking lot for the summer months (the initial grant request through MassDOT was denied). Christine Dean, Community Center Director, indicated that the tent will be delivered and installed during the week of May 24th,pending the building permit. Eileen Jay, liaison from the School Committee, stated that Lexington High School returned to 100% full day,in person learning as of May 17th. On May 18th, Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent of Lexington Public Schools,issued a statement which indicated that masks would no longer be needed for outside physical education classes,recess, and sports while masks would still be required when students and staff are indoors. 5. 2021 Aquatics Season Hayato Tsurumaki, Recreation Supervisor,presented an overview of the planned operations at the Irving H. Mabee Town Pool Complex and the Old Reservoir for the 2021 season. A copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Tsurumaki discussed the staffing, hours of operation, safety protocols, and programs that will be in place for this summer. The Town Pool and Old Reservoir are scheduled to open for the season on Saturday, June 5th. For the time being, only Lexington residents are allowed to purchase swim memberships for this season. Staff from the Facilities Department will complete a thorough, deep clean of each facility on a daily basis and the aquatics staff will clean the facilities throughout the day as well. While programs such as adult lap swim and aqua aerobics will be offered, other offerings such as American Red Cross swim lessons,private swim lessons, and party rentals will not take place this year. Mr. Tsurumaki reiterated that the safety protocols in place are subject to change during the season pending any additional guidelines that may be released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). It has been a coordinated effort among multiple Town departments to prepare the aquatics facilities for the upcoming season. Members of the Committee expressed their appreciation for a comprehensive overview on how the Town Pool and Old Reservoir will operate this summer. 6. Memorial Bench and Plaque Request Jacqy Fiore presented a request to install a memorial bench and plaque in honor of Lisa George- Cox at the Center Track. A copy of the proposal,including drawings of the proposed bench and plaque and testimonials from colleagues and students, are attached to the meeting minutes. Lisa George-Cox was a METCO student at Lexington High School, graduated from Syracuse University, and was a special education teacher at Lexington High School for 12 years as well as an indoor and outdoor track coach. During this time, she had a tremendous positive impact on countless students and student-athletes. Ms. George-Cox lost her battle with cancer earlier this year and this request is being submitted to honor her legacy and the many contributions she made to the Lexington community. Ms. Fiore estimated that the total cost to purchase and install and bench would be approximately$3,000. The cost of the bench would be supported through fundraising. She added that an installer is still needed and wondered if this is something that the Town could assist with. Samples of the plaque were reviewed. The design would have a QR code to link to a bio with more information about Lisa and the plaque would be embedded in the back of the bench. The proposed location is at the 200 meter starting spot,where Lisa would offer words of encouragement as athletes rounded the corner. 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3 Emmett O'Brien, a track coach at Lexington High School, gave a brief statement. Mr. O'Brien has been a track coach for 20 years and coached alongside Ms. George-Cox for 8 years. Mr. O'Brien stated that Lisa deserves this as she did not get what she deserved in life. He added that it is so important for Ms. George-Cox to receive this recognition as she gave everything she had. She was a mentor and set an impeccable example for the student-athletes. In fact, she was coaching up until the week before she passed. Members of the Committee offered their thoughts. Rick DeAngelis stated that special people deserve to be recognized and through the presentation,you could feel the power of Lisa's personality and athletic prowess. Lisah Rhodes and Christian Boutwell loved the proposed placement of the bench and Ms. Rhodes could not think of a better recognition. Mr.Boutwell wonmdered if there would be a way to include why the location was chosen. Lisa O'Brien said that while she did not know Lisa George-Cox, she knew of her and thought the QR code was a spectacular idea. Suzie Barry echoed Ms. O'Brien's sentiment in that the track program is inclusive.Ms. Barry did not know Ms. George-Cox,but this is a significant honor and she looks forward to it being presented to the Select Board. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs,indicated that the installation would be coordinated with DPW staff and that staff work with the Town Manager's Office to bring this forward to the Select Board and work with Ms. Fiore to have it implemented. At this point, Lisah Rhodes made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee strongly endorses and recommends the erection of a bench and plaque memorial for Lisa George-Cox with the coordination of the Department of Public Works and Recreation and Community Programs Department staff."Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 7. Skate Park Lighting Request Scott Gilbert,resident of 21 Fletcher Avenue, complimented the Committee on the recent completion of the Center Track and Field reconstruction project and said that the complex looks amazing. Mr. Gilbert has a 12 year-old son who uses the Skate Park and inquired about the feasibility of and what the process would be for installing lights at the Skate Park. Currently, the Skate Park is not utilized as much as the other amenities at the complex during the early spring and late fall due to a lack of daylight. Mr. Gilbert added that the Skate Park provides a variety of wholesome activity for skateboarders, skaters, and rollerbladers. There are two stantions next to the Skate Park that may be suitable for lights. While no formal plan was presented, Mr. Gilbert said that the conversation could act as a suggestion and asked the Committee if it would support pursuing the installation of lights. Members of the Committee agreed with the high level of activity that takes place at the Skate Park. Rick DeAngelis thanked Mr. Gilbert for bringing this request forward. Mr.DeAngelis added that no vote would be taken at that time as the Committee will need to discuss it with department staff and DPW and consider and evaluate the possibility of installing lights at the Skate Park with the other capital improvement projects that are scheduled over the next five years. 8. Sutherland Park—play elements As a continuation of the conversation from the April Recreation Committee meeting, Melissa Battite informed the Committee that a location had been identified at Sutherland Park where additional play elements for children ages 5-12 could be installed. Ms. Battite reported that the Community Preservation Committee (CPC)is willing to consider a request for supplemental funding that would be voted on at Special Town Meeting this fall if a proposal for additional play elements is brought forward by the Recreation Committee. Staff have been working with the playground designer to come up with different options where the additional elements would blend in nicely with the existing structure. Many families with young children have been enjoying the 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 new play structure and it has been communicated that families with children ages 8-11 would like to have other components, such as monkey bars or climbing elements,incorporated at the park. Ms. Battite stated that there is a substantial amount of stone and ledge at the site and the options being considered vary greatly(approximately $55,000-$120,000)based on how much excavation would be required. She indicated that staff need more direction from the Committee on whether or not this should be pursued and that it is a quick turnaround as adding funding to the existing article is what is being considered. The amount appropriated for the project,which includes the playground replacement and ADA improvements at Sutherland Park,was $95,000 and approximately $65,000-$70,000 has been spent on the playground replacement to date. Ms. Battite added the staff's recommendation is that this is worth pursuing contingent upon funding being available and it not compromising other experiences at the park. Members of the Committee asked some questions and offered their input. Given the amount of work that would be needed and the quick turnaround,Rick DeAngelis asked if it would be more appropriate for this request to be presented at Annual Town Meeting next spring. Lisah Rhodes stated that it is the Committee's mission to provide recreation for all Lexington residents and believed that this would be worth pursuing. Lisa O'Brien added that it is a unique neighborhood and the park is attractive to many users with the playground, Little League field,basketball court, and walking trails. She also believed that it would be worth pursuing,if a funding source could be identified. Christian Boutwell expressed his mixed emotions on this topic. CPC funding is available for many differed things and the estimate for the additional play elements would result in doubling the cost of the project. Mr. Boutwell agreed that community engagement and outreach should be enhanced to ensure that the needs of the neighborhood and park users are met through capital improvement proj ects. He is in favor of gathering more data,hearing what the CPC's thoughts are on this, and coming up with a more definitive budget for the additional play elements and he is opposed to ledge demolition. Rick DeAngelis asked how would this request fit into the Committee's overall 5-year capital plan and Lisah Rhodes added that the CPC did not receive as many requests this year as compared to previous years. At the conclusion of the conversation, Lisah Rhodes made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves, through the Recreation and Community Programs Department staff, to investigate, explore, and examine the possibility of installing additional play structures and the potential funding source through the Town financial system at Sutherland Park." Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 9. Recreation Committee Correspondence Lisa O'Brien reported that people had emailed the Committee over the past month on such items as the Sutherland Park playground, memorial bench and plaque for Lisa George-Cox, the lights and practice boards at the Gallagher Tennis Courts,parking at Lincoln Park, and the condition of the Clarke baseball field. Melissa Battite stated that the request for proposals (RFP) for the athletic field feasibility study has been posted and it is anticipated that the study will take place from June-October with a draft prepared in September. The findings of the study will be incorporated into the Recreation 5-Year Capital Plan going forward. 10. Athletic Lighting Project—Center Recreation Complex Richard Petrasso,resident of 39 Parker Street, thanked the Committee for the opportunity to present three concerns about the recently completed athletic lighting project at the Center Recreation Complex. A copy of the presentation slides, along with a memo from Melissa Battite on the project, are attached to the meeting minutes. The three issues identified by Mr.Petrasso are the glare that the new lights are creating on the courts, the noise from the practice backboards, and the damage that was caused to the root system along Ganley Way. For the light glare, that is 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 5 in the process of being addressed as windscreens to be placed on the perimeter fencing closest to Parker Street has been ordered and will be installed once it has been delivered. Regarding the noise, Mr.Petrasso claimed that noise from the practice backboards is in violation of Town and state noise bylaws and is above the decibel level allowed. It was noted that one of the backboards, the one located closest to Parker Street,was removed recently. Two potential solutions would be to install noise-compliant practice backboards such as the ones that are in Belmont or to place a noise-absorbing barrier such as Acoustiblok behind and along the edges of the two existing backboards. Another permanent solution would be to relocate the backboards next to the gaga ball pit. Mr.Petrasso strongly recommended that the old backboard signage be restored as it stated the only use allowed was for tennis and the previous sign would help prevent the noise from starting too early on weekends and holidays. Mr.Petrasso added that play typically starts 45-60 minutes before the posted time and this issue will be on the agenda of the next Noise Advisory Committee meeting. The third issue is the damage to the root system along Ganley Way. Mr.Petrasso explained that the path has become a saturated dirt road and asked what could be done to sustain the condition of the trees. After Mr.Pertasso's presentation, members of the Committee had the opportunity to ask questions and make comments. Rick DeAngelis asked who measured the noise and Mr.Petrasso said that he did,using a Type 2 noise meter. Mr. DeAngelis indicated that the issue with the trees is something the Committee will look into and follow up with the tree warden on. Melissa Battite informed the Committee that staff from the Department and DPW have been actively working with and responding to the neighbors for the past six months. All trash barrels have been moved to the track side, so only vehicles needed to service the trees and courts will drive down Ganley Way going forward. The Gallagher Courts are scheduled to be completed reconstructed in FY2023 and Ms. Battite is looking forward to working with the abutters as the project comes forward. In the meantime, Ms. Battite and Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, are looking at both short-term and long-term sounding improvements and options for corrective action are being considered. Ms. Battite added that parks are open from dawn to dusk throughout Town and that the courts and Center Track Field are not permitted for use before 8:00am. Mr.Petrasso stated that he has had approximately 200 encounters over the years with people using the courts outside of the posted times and that these encounters have been pleasant and uplifting for him. He also reiterated that since the noise level is not compliant with the Town bylaw, the start time should be moved back to 9:30am. Melissa Battite explained that the demand for parks and open spaces over the last 15 months cannot be discounted and that the capital planning process should not change based solely on the events of the past year. The Committee and staff need to have a thoughtful,holistic approach with capital planning going forward(community needs assessment, Conservation Commission, Lincoln Park Sub-Committee). Members of the Committee requested more time to digest the information and this item will be added to the June meeting agenda. The next virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 16"at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. The May 19`" 2021 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9:45pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 6 The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • May 2021 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Path to RECovery: Restoration of Services 2021 • May 2021 Liaison Reports • 2021 Summer Aquatics presentation slides • Request for Memorial Bench and Plaque at the Center Track in honor of Lisa George- Cox • Memo from Melissa Battite regarding Athletic Lighting and Tennis at the Center Recreation Complex • Presentation slides from Richard Petrasso 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421