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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-04-19-REC-min Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Carl Fantasia Lisa O’Brien Claire Sheth Renen Bassik Weiwei Li Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting April 19, 2023 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 in person and via Zoom as a hybrid meeting at 6:30pm in Room 237 of the Lexington Community Center. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Christian Boutwell, Renen Bassik, Weiwei Li, and Lisa O’Brien Members Not present: Carl Fantasia and Claire Sheth Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, Kate DeAngelis, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, and Sandhya Iyer, Economic Development Director Others Present: Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison) and Guhan Yuvaraj (81 Hill Street, Lexington) 1. Public Comment – None 2. Meeting Minutes Rick DeAngelis moved to approve the minutes from the March 21st meeting and Christian Boutwell seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. Rick DeAngelis moved to approve the minutes from the March 29th meeting and Christian Boutwell seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0-1 to approve this motion. 3. Recreation Committee Email Correspondence There were emails received about the proposed Lincoln Park field and lights improvements project (Article 10i) as well as messages about the area that is being used as a bike park that abuts Kinneens Park. The users have morphed into a non-approved group, spilling into the park site and it has been reported that there have been bonfires. When one Googles pump tracks in Lexington, this location comes up in the results. 4. Liaison Report Weiwei Li, liaison to the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC), had no new updates as the LPSC had not met during the previous month. Rod Cole, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) liaison, was pleased with how Town Meeting had gone as of now. Lisa O’Brien, liaison to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), noted that the birds as tree art request was not approved. Ms. O’Brien also commended Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee for his superb presentation on the Lincoln Park project (Article 10i). 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 5. Working Group Updates Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, informed the Committee that in the lead up to Town Meeting a working group around the athletic field surfaces was formed. This group consists of members from the Recreation Committee, Board of Health, Sustainable Lexington Committee, and Town staff representing Recreation & Community Programs, Public Health, Sustainability & Resilience, Conservation, and DPW. The efforts of this working group resulted in a joint statement on Article 10i. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, indicated that this has been a productive exercise and beneficial experience to date. The next phase for this group will be to review the specifications for the synthetic turf field and the infill material. Ms. Battite added that the Tennis & Pickleball Working Group (TPWG) will report back at the May Recreation Committee meeting. 6. Eagle Scout Project Approval Request Guhan Yuvaraj presented his proposed Eagle Scout project to the Committee and a copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. Guhan is a 10th grader at Lexington High School and his project will be the installation of a communication board at the Center Playground. The communication board will have a variety of symbols of verbs and pronouns that will help people with disabilities to communicate. The dimensions of the board will be 40” x 52” and the two-sided board will be made out of pressure-treated cedar. The board will be installed by the ages 2-5 play structure. The project has been approved by the Boy Scout Council, DPW, and Recreation & Community Programs Department staff and Guhan was seeking the approval of the Recreation Committee. He has met with Lexington Graphics, which is the company he will order the printed materials from, as well as DPW, who will be digging the holes. He has also completed his fundraising efforts. Kate DeAngelis, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, noted that the fundraising needed for the majority of Eagle Scout projects is between $300-$400, whereas Guhan has raised $1,500 for his project. After tonight’s meeting, the next steps will include using software to design the board (which should be completed in May), placing the order with Lexington Graphics, recruit volunteers from his troop and coordinating with Recreation & Community Programs and DPW. The board is scheduled to be installed in June. When asked why he chose a communication board for his project, he stated that he has a twin sister with a disability, so helping people with disabilities is important to him and he wanted to give back and improve the Lexington community with an inclusive communication board. The department’s Therapeutic Recreation team will also be beneficiaries of this project. Christian Boutwell thanked Guhan for his informative presentation and then members had a chance to ask him questions. Regarding durability, it is anticipated that the board will last between 5-10 years. Lisa O’Brien added that this project has special meaning to her since she is the mother of a child with special needs. Christian Boutwell made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve Guhan Yuvaraj’s Eagle Scout project to install a communication board at the Center Recreation Complex per final guidance and approval by Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, or her designee.” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee 5-0 to approve this motion. 7. Economic Development – Wayfindings, East Lexington Sandhya Iyer, Economic Development Director, reviewed the proposed concepts for wayfinding signage on the Minuteman Bikeway and a copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Iyer stated that this process began back in 2020 during the pandemic. A grant was received from the state for quick, rapid recovery of business districts and East Lexington has been chosen as the location for these enhancements. The conceptual design and location have been approved by the Bedford Select Board and Arlington has started the approval process. The wayfinding signage would run from Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford through the commercial corridor on the bike path. Examples of the wayfinding signs and a map of the 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 proposed locations were reviewed. There would be three directional signs, one information kiosk, and one identity ID. The Tourism Committee, Design Advisory Committee, and Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) have all reviewed the proposed designs/concepts and the BAC suggested solar lighting. There would be a QR code that leads to a website. The concepts for the directional signs have not been finalized. Pending approval of the Recreation Committee and Select Board, the plan is for some signage and the kiosk to be installed this summer. While directional D3 falls on Recreation land, the rest would fall under the purview of the Select Board. Melissa Battite added that Bow Street Park is in need of capital improvements and the idea is to utilize that park for community events in the future. After a brief discussion, Christian Boutwell made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee is supportive of the overall project and approves siting of Directional D3 on Recreation land at Bow Street Park with any modifications approved by Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs.” Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee 5-0 to approve this motion. 8. Therapeutic Recreation Update Kate DeAngelis provided the Committee with an update on therapeutic recreation and a copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. DeAngelis discussed the mission and vision and outlined the distinction between adaptive/specialized programs, inclusive programs, and inclusion services. It is important to note that inclusion is not changing the outcome of the experience, but rather it allows more people to participate. Ms. DeAngelis reviewed the many highlights of the therapeutic recreation programs and services that have been offered as well as the inclusion staff that have supported these programs during the past three years. The Therapeutic Recreation Specialist position became full-time in 2020 and the services and requests for inclusion support grew very quickly in 2021. In 2022, the department piloted a summer inclusion supervisor position and also collaborated with Burlington Parks and Recreation and Billerica Recreation to provide leadership and inclusion staff a comprehensive inclusion training. Ms. DeAngelis also shared some of this year’s accomplishments and reminded the Committee of the various ADA improvements that have been incorporated in recent capital improvement projects. Rick DeAngelis congratulated Ms. DeAngelis for her incredible work and praised her depth and breadth of knowledge and her enthusiasm. In his words, she has taken this opportunity and made it a “wow moment.” He added that Ms. DeAngelis is a great complement to the Recreation and Community Programs Department and that the efforts of Ms. DeAngelis and her staff perfectly match what true inclusion is in the Lexington community. Christian Boutwell echoed the sentiments of Mr. DeAngelis, saying that Ms. DeAngelis is an incredible asset, an incredible person, and that her enthusiasm is contagious. Mr. Boutwell thanked Ms. DeAngelis for all that she does. Lisa O’Brien added that Ms. DeAngelis has changed the O’Brien household and she is overjoyed that her 17 year-old will have a paid job with the department this spring. Melissa Battite reiterated that inclusion is part of every conversation that takes place and the changes that Ms. DeAngelis has implemented has the potential to change people’s lives. 9. LPS Signage – this item was withdrawn from the agenda. 10. Lincoln Park Sub-Committee – Bench Donations – this item was withdrawn from the agenda and will be presented at a future meeting. 11. Lincoln #2 – Athletic Lighting – 2023 Request Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, presented the revised request to extend the hours of athletic lighting at Lincoln #2. A copy of the request is attached to the meeting minutes. The request called for the athletic lighting to remain on for up to an additional 30 minutes, from 8:30pm to 9:00pm for the field lights and from 8:45pm to 9:15pm for the parking lot lights, on 4 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 weeknights during the Spring 2023 (April 3rd-June 9th) and Fall 2023 (August 28th-November 10th) field seasons. This would only be an option for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 organizations. The question was asked whether or not this would be done on an as-needed basis. Melissa Battite indicated that as needed was an operational decision of the department and that in Fall 2022, the lights were scheduled for the extended time every weeknight for ease of scheduling for user groups. Christian Boutwell believed that this could be looked at three different ways: as- needed/operational, a blanket extension, or scheduled extensions for specific dates. Mr. Boutwell recommended that the Committee review the light use policy at a future meeting within the next six months as increasing the number of lighted fields in town could be a viable option to increase the playability of fields in the future. Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the revised request for extended hours of athletic lighting at Lincoln #2 for 2023 with the exclusion of the summer season as noted.” Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 12. Bike Committee – Worthen Road/Center Recreation Complex Bike Lane Rick DeAngelis expressed that an interest to add a bike lane on Worthen Road by the practice field and Center Recreation Complex has been expressed. This would need to go before the Police Department as well as the Transportation Safety Group (TSG). Christian Boutwell asked if the Committee had any standing in this. Ultimately, the Committee determined it would be best to redirect this request to the Bicycle Advisory Committee. 13. Recreation & Community Programs Report The April Recreation & Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 17th at 6:30pm. The April 19th, 2023 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8:29pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • April 2023 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Communication Board – Eagle Project Presentation Slides • Minuteman Bikeway Regional Wayfinding Signage East Lexington Village Presentation Slides • Annual Therapeutic Recreation & Capital Project Update Presentation Slides • Revised Request for Extended Hours of Athletic Lighting at Lincoln #2