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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-20-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 September 20, 2023 A Working Session meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, September 20, 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, Lisa O’Brien, and Claire Sheth Members Not present: Carl Fantasia Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, and Charlie Schroeder, Recreation Coordinator Others Present: Dongling Chen (39 Parker Street, Lexington), Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), Doreen Karoll (76 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Brian Kelley (44 Grant Street, Lexington), Joseph Lehar (33 Parker Street, Lexington), Kathleen Lenihan (School Committee liaison), Hien Nguyen (17 Holland Street, Lexington), Richard Petrasso (39 Parker Street, Lexington), Bob Pressman (22 Locust Avenue, Lexington), P.K. Shiu (1024 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington), and Joanne Shorter (7 Bridge Street, Lexington) 1. Annual Report Approval Before voting on the Annual Report, Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, introduced Charlie Schroeder, Recreation Coordinator to the Committee. The Recreation Coordinator is a new position for the Department that was approved in FY23. Mr. Schroeder, who is a resident of Lexington, began as the Recreation Coordinator on Wednesday, th September 6 and has worked for the Department in various positions previously. Mr. Schroeder expressed that he is happy to be here and he is looking forward to working with the Department going forward. A draft of the Committee’s FY23 Annual Report is attached to the meeting minutes. Lisa O’Brien moved to approve the Recreation Committee FY23 Annual Report. Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 2.Hard Court Reconstruction at the Center Recreation Complex – Lining of the Courts Claire Sheth, who was the facilitator of the Tennis and Pickleball Working Group (TPWG), led the discussion. A copy of Ms. Sheth’s memo on the review of siting criteria for pickleball court construction/lining, dated August 31, 2023, is attached to the meeting minutes. At the June Committee meeting, it was mentioned that the final decision about whether or not to line the 2 Gallagher Courts for pickleball had to be given this fall and through her memo, Ms. Sheth extracted elements from the TPWG Report specific to this issue. The basic question to be asked is what is adequate for citing pickleball in town. Ms. Sheth encouraged Committee members to look at it through the lens as if the courts were being built for the first time. The reconstruction project cleared the slate and Ms. Sheth asked if there had never been tennis courts at Gallagher before, would the Committee decide to put pickleball courts there now? Ms. Sheth concluded her remarks by recommending to not put pickleball lines at the Gallagher Courts. While Lexington High School has pickleball as part of its physical education curriculum, it is currently played indoors in the Field House. Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, provided an overview on the usage of the pickleball courts at Adams and Clarke. Usage of these pickleball courts has increased over the past year. There are no restrictions on use at the Adams Courts and the Department has not received any noise complaints concerning Adams or Clarke. Melissa Battite added that the Waldorf School has graciously offered to not use the Adams Courts at all this fall to help offset the shortage while the Gallagher Courts remain offline. Ms. Sheth referred to the map of the Gallagher Courts that Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee, created. The map illustrates that there is not enough distance and natural mitigation between the Gallagher Courts and Parker Street abutters. Ms. Sheth added that the pickleball industry will be forced to change and make the equipment softer/quieter. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, thought it would be a good idea to leave open the possibility of having pickleball at Gallagher in the future if it became feasible. Ms. Sheth agreed that it would be beneficial to keep an open mind given the high demand and resources available in Lexington. Renen Bassik encouraged the Committee to have a systematic approach when considering this issue. Ms. Sheth stated that there is not a single sport in this town that the Committee can meet the demand of 100% of the time. The Committee has the ability to create equity across the various sports and user groups. Mr. DeAngelis added that the map of Gallagher tells a lot about the relationship with the neighbors and while the Committee is not opposed to pickleball, he believed that Gallagher is not an appropriate site. Mr. Boutwell concurred, stating that the distance needs to be reasonable as it was recognized as the top priority of the TPWG. This will help to preserve the abutters’ ability to live in their homes. Ms. Sheth informed the Committee that indoor space is in even higher demand as the gyms at the Bridge, Bowman, and Harrington Schools are small. There are no simple fixes, so this issue will require creative solutions. Potential options include the gyms at the Hayden Recreation Centre and Grace Chapel. The Lexington Pickleball Club (LPC) will be utilizing the Grace Chapel gym beginning this fall. Ms. Sheth expressed that a conversation about having pickleball only at Adams is worth a further discussion at the future Committee meeting. Ms. Battite thanked Ms. Sheth and Mr. Coleman for leading the TPWG as well as the Committee for their work on this issue over the past two years. Ms. Battite encouraged the Committee to be mindful of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as Gallagher is the only court facility with lights. She added that the parking at Adams has to be a factor that is considered. At the conclusion of the discussion, Christian Boutwell made the following motion: “At this time, in light of the proximity of the abutting property lines and the noise associated with pickleball, the Recreation Committee votes to not line the Gallagher Courts for pickleball and votes to not permit the Gallagher Courts for pickleball use.” Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. After the motion passed, the Committee agreed to send a memo to alert the Lexington Public Schools community to the policy decision to not permit pickleball at Gallagher at this time. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3 3. FY25-FY29 Capital Budget Recommendations Melissa Battite and Peter Coleman reviewed the proposed 5-Year Capital Plan with the Committee. A copy of the Recreation FY2025-FY2029 5-Year Capital Plan summary sheet is nd attached to the meeting minutes. The FY25-FY29 capital plan is due on Friday, September 22 and staff will then meet with the Town Manager, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC), Community Preservation Committee (CPC), and the Select Board to review the plan. There are six proposed projects for FY2025: 1. Pine Meadows Improvements: $110,000 from the Recreation Enterprise Fund to replace the fuel bays, renovate the practice area, and replace the safety netting at the practice area. 2. Lincoln Park Field Improvements: $1,145,000 in CPA funds and $665,000 from the general fund (for a total of $1,810,000) to conduct an end-of-life synthetic turf replacement at Lincoln Field #2. 3. Park and Playground Improvements: $1,041,000 in CPA funds to replace the playground equipment and rehabilitate the rubber poured-in-place (PIP) safety surfacing at Lincoln Park. 4. Park Improvements – Athletics Fields: $545,000 in CPA funds to reconstruct the athletic field at Bowman School. 5. Park Improvements – Hard Court Surfaces: $492,000 in CPA funds to install post tension concrete court surfaces for tennis/pickleball at the Valley Courts. 6. Lincoln Park Fitness Stations Equipment: $160,000 in CPA funds to upgrade and replace the equipment at the fitness stations at Lincoln Park. Committee members had the opportunity to ask questions about the proposed projects. Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, acknowledged that while Bowman is currently in poor condition, with proper funding and design, he believes that the field will become playable through the proposed reconstruction project. Staff met at Valley with Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator, in late August. This area is a protected wetland, so a delineation of the site will be completed to provide information on how to move forward. Regarding the fitness stations at Lincoln Park, Brian Kelley, who is the Chair of the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC), indicated that between two trusts for public lands – the Kirk Fund and the Teresa/Roberta Lee Fund, the current balance is approximately $800,000. In addition to the fitness stations, Mr. Kelley indicated that the composite boardwalk is in bad shade and should be addressed as well. Mr. Kelley stated that the LPSC would like to participate in these projects. This would need to be discussed during a LPSC meeting and staff would need to speak with the Finance Department about the process for requesting funds from the public trusts. Besides the fitness stations and boardwalk, the LPSC does not have any additional capital projects in mind. It was recommended that the LPSC submit a request for two capital projects to the Committee. Christian Boutwell said he was willing to proceed, leaving the Lincoln fitness stations in the proposed plan, contingent upon the LPSC meeting and determining how much it wants to contribute. Mr. Boutwell added that the Committee has to be respectful of CPA funds, especially with the potential to access other funds for these projects. As a comparison, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, informed the Committee that the cost to purchase the equipment for the outdoor fitness stations at the Community Center was $35,000. This equipment was installed internally by DPW. Mr. Kelley stated that the LPSC should be able to provide more information about its decision in early-to-mid October. With the Lincoln Park Master Plan (LPMP) ongoing, Lisa O’Brien expressed her concerns about proceeding with any projects that may conflict with the final recommendations in the LPMP. It would be wise to think about the park comprehensively. Ms. Battite noted that the LPMP is 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 tentatively scheduled to be presented at the November Recreation Committee meeting. The LPMP is reviewing the parking, traffic flow, and safety at the site and there is the potential that the turf replacement at Lincoln #2 and the playground replacement could become one large project that also addresses parking. Rod Cole, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) liaison, asked about the projects at Bowman and “old Harrington” and was happy with the Committee’s recommendations. If approved, there would be a layout for a cricket field included at the “old Harrington” site. Mr. Cole emphasized the importance of identifying wants vs. needs and stated that there might be tension between what CEC likes and what the Committee likes. The conversation ended with Rick DeAngelis making the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the Recreation & Community Programs FY2025-FY2029 Capital Summary, pending the removal of $4,180,000 under project Rec-CPA-2 in FY2029 and revising the total for project Rec-CPA-2 in FY2026 to be $4,180,000 in CPA-eligible funding (not $6,180,000).” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 4. FY25-FY29 Capital Memo Approval An updated draft of the Committee’s FY25-FY29 Capital Summary Statement is attached to the meeting minutes. Christian Boutwell reminded the Committee that the memo was reviewed at the August meeting. Since then, the description for what “level-service” means and how the Lexington High School project will have a significant impact has been strengthened. Mr. Boutwell stated that a footnote about the LPMP will be added. He said that while additional changes could be made, he recommended approving the memo pending future updates and revisions. Mr. Boutwell reiterated that the intent of the memo is to highlight the FY25 capital project requests. Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the FY2025-FY2029 Capital Summary Statement as prepared by Christian Boutwell, pending the inclusion of a footnote about the Lincoln Park Master Plan.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 5. Committee Goals A draft of the Committee’s goals is attached to the meeting minutes. Christian Boutwell reported that the Select Board has been reaching out to committees about short-term goals and how it can help achieve these goals. The goals need to be submitted prior to when the October Recreation Committee meeting will be held. Rick DeAngelis stated that the draft goals accurately portray the challenges and opportunities that the Committee is currently facing and focuses on the impact that the LHS project is going to have. Renen Bassik asked if the Town has the right mix of athletic fields and if there is a long-term plan in place for any field reconfigurations. Mr. Bassik mentioned the Athletic Fields Feasibility Study and asked what could be done with the data in that report to help reduce the field deficit. While those are valuable questions, the purpose of this exercise is to identify short-term, actionable items where the Select Board could help. While the LHS project is the most significant issue on the horizon, Lisa O’Brien inquired about the possibility of changing the funding model for the Recreation Enterprise Fund. The LHS project will impact the Department’s entire summer camp operations as well as field permits at the Center Recreation Complex. Of the Department’s $3,000,000 operating budget, approximately $1,000,000 is overhead. Mr. Boutwell stated that it will be important to quantify the 5-year impact that the LHS project will have on the Recreation Enterprise Fund and the user groups. It would be worthwhile to evaluate the funding model for Recreation in Lexington to see what support the Recreation Committee might receive from the Select Board. The Select Board could convene summit-type meetings on this subject. Through the Committee’s goals, the Select Board is trying to get a look-in into what is important for the various committees. Melissa Battite stated that from a sustainability standpoint, projects that have been in the works for years are now trying to catch up to new policies that have been put in place only recently. Rick DeAngelis 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 5 made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the Recreation Committee Goals as presented by Christian Boutwell, with incorporating the edits that have been discussed during the meeting. Committee members will send any additional suggestions or edits th to Mr. Boutwell by Wednesday, September 27.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October th 18 at 6:30pm. th The September 20, 2023 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8:58pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached:  Draft of Recreation Committee FY23 Annual Report  Memo on Review of Siting Criteria for Pickleball Court Construction/Lining  Draft of Recreation FY2025-FY2029 5-Year Capital Plan Summary Sheet  Draft of Recreation Committee FY2025-FY2029 Capital Summary Statement  Draft of Recreation Committee Goals  September 2023 Recreation & Community Programs Report 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421