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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-19-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 July 19, 2023 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, June 19, 2023 in person at 6:30pm at the Pine Meadows Golf Club. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Christian Boutwell, Carl Fantasia, and Claire Sheth Members Not present: Renen Bassik Weiwei Li, and Lisa O’Brien Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, and Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds Others Present: John Allen (New England Golf Corporation), Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), and Leslie Schaffer (16 Cushing Street, Lexington) 1. Public Comment – None 2. 5-Year Capital Plan FY25-FY29 Discussion This was a continuation of the conversation that began during the June 21st meeting. The attachments to the meeting minutes include a link to the FY24-FY28 5-Year Capital Plan, the Recreation Committee’s FY24-FY28 capital summary statement, and an updated memo on current projects. The upcoming capital plan will emphasize preparing for the impacts of the new Lexington High School construction project. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, informed the Committee that it is anticipated that the fields at the Center Recreation Complex (excluding the Center Track Field) will not be available from Spring 2026 through 2030. It will be imperative to not have any additional fields offline during this period of time. Ms. Battite stated that over the next six months, the Town decision makers are expected to determine what the future uses of the Lexington Public Schools Central Office (“old Harrington”) and 173 Bedford Street will be. The LHS Feasibility Study will begin shortly. Ms. Battite recommended reintroducing the land acquisition placeholder into the plan. This was last included in the plan back in 2016 and could be listed as a to be determined. Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee, asked if the Committee would look to fund the land acquisition placeholder and if a financial plan is the most efficient way to message this to the Lexington community. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, thought a working group could be formed to help initiate and ignite this initiative. Rod Cole, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) liaison, said that if the Committee has a plausible purchase, then the CEC would like to see it on the plan as TBD. Otherwise, if it is not plausible, then Mr. Cole’s recommendation is to not include in on the plan. Ms. Battite mentioned that in recent years, there has been a push within Town to purchase the old Boston Sports Club. However, due to the 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 overall conditional of the building and the accessibility shortcomings, this is not be pursued at this time and it would be regrettable to put it in the “parking lot” due to the LHS project. When looking at other projects, ARPA funding has been used recently to purchase shade structures and the inventory of the other site amenities will be determined before moving forward with that request. For a new inclusion into the plan, Melissa Battite informed the Committee that the Valley Courts are failing. The courts were last resurfaced in 2021 and the cracking that the courts are experiencing is likely due to new materials in asphalt that while environmentally- friendly, are not as durable. It will be recommended to install post-tension concrete courts at this location. Rod Cole asked if any projects have come in higher than the amount that was approved. The bidding for the Lincoln #1 renovation project will be a good barometer for this. Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, said that the cost for grass seed increased by 50% over the past year. Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, added that the preliminary estimates for the replacement of the playgrounds at the Center Recreation Complex and Lincoln Park are approximately 30% higher than last year’s estimates. As far as outstanding projects are concerned, field renovations include Muzzey, Harrington, Fiske, Bridge, and Bowman is the proposed project for FY25. The Muzzey field renovation is scheduled to be completed later this fall. The replacement of the bathhouse at the Old Reservoir will go out to bid this fall. Melissa Battite stated that the Town is looking into the possibility of bundling some of the ADA improvement projects (Rindge, Valley, Muzzey, and Fiske). It is anticipated that the Center Bathrooms renovation project will be completed around October as there has been a delay on the steel doors and steel doorframes. The participatory budget process identified creating a dog park as a high priority. Melissa Battite, Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, and Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator, reviewed a lists of parcels where a dog park could be installed. The majority of the parcels are located on conservation land or are paper streets or land-locked, so the list was narrowed down to three potential locations that Ms. Battite, Mr. Pinsonneault, and Ms. Mullins recently toured. The old Boston Sports Club is being rented out to the Lexington Tennis Club and swim teams. The tennis courts at the facility are not accessible. For the pickleball court construction article, Claire Sheth emphasized that the Committee should seriously consider relining the Adams Courts for six pickleball courts or convert Adams to designated pickleball-only courts. She recommended adjusting this request in the capital plan and also asked about the possibility of installing one tennis court at Munroe. Christian Boutwell said that he would be willing to update the Committee’s capital summary statement from last year. Members of the Committee should send feedback directly to Mr. Boutwell within the next week and he will create an updated draft of the memo for review. 3. Tour of Golf Course After the meeting concluded, John Allen, Golf Course Superintendent from New England Golf Corporation, led the Committee on a tour of Pine Meadows. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 16th at 6:30pm. The July 19th, 2023 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 7:19pm. 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • July 2023 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Recreation & Community Programs FY2024-FY2028 5-Year Capital Plan • Recreation Committee FY2024-FY2028 Capital Summary Statement • Memo on FY2025-FY2029 Capital Improvement Plan