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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-27-REC-min`OVs MORN' O� 1775 tic s� wA APRIL 19' �FXI IN 61 Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chair Christian Boutwell Carl Fantasia Lisa O'Brien Claire Sheth Town of Lexington Recreation Committee 2022 18 I . , I �Ipim TOWN CLERK i 1 Tel: (781) 698-4800 Fax: (781) 861-2747 Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting April 27, 2022 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 7:00pm in Estabrook Hall of the Cary Memorial Building. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Christian Boutwell, Carl Fantasia, Lisa O'Brien, and Claire Sheth Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs and Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation Others Present: Suzie Barry (Select Board liaison), Kathleen Lenihan (School Committee liaison), Eric Pearlman (47 Parker Street, Lexington), and Richard Petrasso (39 Parker Street) 1. Meeting Minutes — February 16, 2022, March 16, 2022, and April 12, 2022 Lisah Rhodes moved to approve the minutes from the February 16th, March 16th, and April 12' meetings. Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve the February 16 and April 12 minutes and 5-0-1 to approve the March 16 minutes. Public Comment Richard Petrasso, resident of 39 Parker Street and member of the Stewards of Center Park Path, expressed concerns about a few issues at the Center Recreation Complex, namely the noise being created by the practice boards and pickleball at the Gallagher Courts. Mr. Petrasso referenced a report that he submitted on April 16, 2022 which included sound measurements of three practice boards: the existing boards in Lexington, the cement practice board in Belmont, and the Rally Master board in Boston. He stated that the Rally Master board is no different acoustically from the existing boards in Lexington and added that the cement board in Belmont has smaller reflective and transmitted noise. Mr. Petrasso encouraged the Committee to involve neighbors when making the decision on what material the new practice board should be made of, especially since the current boards are used for multiple purposes (tennis, lacrosse). Regarding the noise of pickleball, the sport involves a hard plastic ball being hit with a hard surface (paddle). Mr. Petrasso referenced a report that was submitted on April 24, 2022 which recorded the sound measurements of pickleball at Gallagher Courts 97-10 at being 85 decibels, which he stated would be the equivalent of the abutters having a freeway in their backyard. Mr. Petrasso reiterated that he is willing to work with the Committee and give advice on this subject. Eric Pearlman, resident of 47 Parker Street, is a self-proclaimed pickleball player and shared examples from Burlington and Newburyport where the surrounding neighborhoods are concerned with the noise levels that pickleball is creating. While he loves the sport and is willing to travel to play, Mr. Pearlman explained that given its loudness, pickleball on an ongoing basis would not be livable and he does not want to see it in his backyard. Recreation Committee Email Correspondence — Lisa O'Brien Lisa O'Brien reported that emails were received about the location for a tree planting at Marvin Park and the amplification of music at Lincoln Park, which resulted in a notice being sent to permit holders. There were several emails about pickleball regarding the noise at the Gallagher Courts and the pickleball clinic opportunity that the Department did not pursue. Ms. O'Brien acknowledged that there was some misinformation about the four dedicated pickleball courts at Gallagher. Several Town Meeting members replied to an email that was sent explaining why they may have voted no on Article l0e (Center Bathrooms renovation) and Article 10f (Gallagher and Farias Courts reconstruction) during Town Meeting. 4. Sutherland Bench Donation — Melissa Battite Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, informed the Committee that the additional play elements at Sutherland Park officially opened on April 22nd and there was a great ribbon cutting ceremony earlier that night on April 27th. One of the positive outcomes of the neighborhood outreach is that Stephen and Laura Canham, residents of 7 Sutherland Road, would like to donate a bench to add to the park. The Select Board has a placeholder on Monday, May 9' to hear this request, pending approval from the Recreation Committee. If approved, it is anticipated that the bench would be installed within 6-10 weeks. After a brief discussion, Lisah Rhodes made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to accept a bench donation at Sutherland Park, donated to the Town on Town property by Lexington residents Stephen and Laura Canham." Lisa O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. Recreation Committee Membership — Lisah Rhodes a. Vacancies — Lisah Rhodes reminded the Committee that she will be stepping down effective July 1, 2022 to join the Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC). This will leave two vacancies on the Committee. Melissa Battite indicated that there are four applications on file from the most recent outreach. Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee, and Melissa Battite will interview candidates and make a recommendation to the Town Manager. b. Liaison, Working Groups, Vice Chair, and Email — Ms. Rhodes has filled many roles during her time with the Committee. Currently, she is a liaison to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) as well as the Lexington High School working group. She is the Vice Chair of the Committee and monitors emails that are sent to the Recreation Committee inbox. These are all roles that other members of the Committee will need to assume once Ms. Rhodes leaves. As far as a time commitment is concerned, the Lexington High School working group meets monthly, generally from 3-4pm on the last Tuesday of the month. For CPC, the liaison has a vote on all CPA -eligible projects and the CPC meets weekly in the late fall/early winter. Members were encouraged to think about and consider which roles they would be willing to fill and Melissa Battite acknowledged that some of the positions may be juggled or adjusted. Ms. Battite said she would put together a list of what members are currently doing, along the time commitment, and send it out to the Committee Rick DeAngelis commended Ms. Rhodes for her unfailing service to the Committee over the years. She did more than fill a role, she created a vital role, especially around Town Meeting. 6. Center Recreation Complex/LHS Working Group updates — Rick DeAngelis Rick DeAngelis provided an update on how the working group is going. The working group consists of members from the Recreation Committee, CEC, Select Board, and School Committee 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 along with Jim Malloy, Town Manager, Julie Hackett, Superintendent of Schools, and members of staff from Conservation, DPW, DPF, and the Recreation and Community Programs Department. The group meets on a monthly basis and has been discussing the complexity regarding the siting for a new Lexington High School. Mr. DeAngelis exclaimed that Recreation is a valuable stakeholder with important and vital resources to the way of life in Lexington. This is evidenced by the Center Track and Field project, which exceeded lofty goals and expectations. Those in attendance at the meeting that are serving on the working group include Melissa Battite, Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Suzie Barry (Select Board liaison), and Kathleen Lenihan (School Committee liaison). One consideration is Article 97, which provides protection for recreation -related resources so they cannot be taken and repurposed unless a replacement -in-kind is in place. Another challenge will be building on wetlands since the Vine Brook culvert is located underneath the site. This will present subsurface challenges such as soil conditions, peet, and water. To date, there have been rough sketches of where things might go and the next meeting will be held in the field. Kathleen Lenihan added that this process is at the very beginning stages as the feasibility study has not started yet and there are still a lot of unknowns at this point. 7. 5 -Year Capital Improvement Updates — Peter Coleman a. Old Reservoir — Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, provided the Committee with an update on the 5 -year capital plan. For the bathhouse at the Old Reservoir, staff continue to work with DPF on the design and installation timeline. Once the plan is finalized, it will be presented to the Design Review Team (DRT) prior to going out to bid. While offseason use of the bathroom is still being discussed, it was acknowledged that the site is used for other activities, such as fishing, walking, biking, and disc golf in the offseason and these are opportunities that the Department would like to enhance going forward. For other project updates, a draft of the final report for the athletic fields feasibility study has been received and the consultant (Weston & Sampson) is scheduled to present it at the May meeting. The design work for the drainage project at the Ist and 2nd holes at Pine Meadows is anticipated to take approximately 8-10 weeks to complete. The playground replacement at Rindge Park will begin during the last week in April. The sidewalk, patio and outdoor fitness project at the Community Center broke ground on Monday, April 25th. To date, the bluestone has been removed, base layers prepped, and forms set for concrete delivery. Additional updates can be found on the' My.,. a� it a1 P oiects wel) . Melissa Battite stated that staff will be working on the FY24-FY28 5 -year capital plan in the coming months. 8. Recreation & Community Programs Report The April Recreation & Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. Melissa Battite offered a huge thank you to the Committee members for all of their help with Town Meeting and getting the various letters of support. Members of the Committee, led by Lisah Rhodes, expressed their appreciation for Ms. Battite's great leadership throughout the entire process. 9. Liaison Reports Lisa O'Brien, liaison to the Lincoln Park Sub -Committee (LPSC), reported that the LPSC met in person earlier in April. A family is interested in donating a bench in memory of a loved one. Brian Kelley, who is the Chairman of the LPSC, will convert an existing wooden bench into a granite bench. A bench count will be needed. Suzie Barry, Select Board liaison, reported that since Town Meeting is now over, the Select Board will be reviewing liaison assignments in the coming weeks. While Kathleen Lenihan, School Committee liaison, did not have anything to report, she did express her gratitude for everything that the Department does. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 16" at 7:00pm. The April 27`", 2022 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8: 21pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • April 2022 Recreation & Community Programs Report 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421