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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-15-REC-min Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Carl Fantasia Claire Sheth Renen Bassik Weiwei Li Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting January 15, 2025 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 in person and via Zoom as a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm in Room 237 of the Lexington Community Center. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Renen Bassik, Carl Fantasia, Weiwei Li, and Claire Sheth Members Absent: Christian Boutwell Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs and Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation Others Present: Kim Allen-Blair (36 Academy Street, Arlington), Karen Boudreau (5 Wingate Road, Lexington), Diana Brainard (45 Percy Road, Lexington), Laura and Charles Brauer (9 Mill Brook Road, Lexington), Laurel Carpenter (94 Pleasant Street, Lexington), Oliver Chong (9 Blake Road, Lexington), Tsipora and Menachem Cohen (81 Kendall Road, Lexington), Paul Earsy (37 Grant Street #1, Lexington), Candance Foresta (98 Alpine Street, Arlington), Nancy Goldberg (26 Slocum Road, Lexington), David Grabel (125 Reed Street, Lexington), Doreen Karoll and Stephen Quatrano, (76 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Brian Kelley (44 Grant Street, Lexington), Janet Kern (72 Lowell Street), Myles Kleper (10 Locke Lane, Lexington), Dipti Lenhart (10 Round Hill Road, Lexington), Kathleen Lenihan (School Committee liaison), Katina Leodas (39 Reed Street, Lexington), Carolyn Levi (60 Turning Mill Road, Lexington), Jenny Lu (3 Deering Avenue, Lexington), Ali Lynch and Sean Bridgeo (10 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Janna Mendonca (1 John Wilson Lane, Lexington), Joanne Morreale (31 Jason Street, Arlington), Hien Nguyen (17 Holland Street, Lexington), Sanjay Padaki (Appropriation Committee liaison), Bob Pressman (22 Locust Avenue, Lexington), Alan Seferian (10 Augustus Road, Lexington), P.K. Shiu (1024 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington), Joanne Shorter (7 Bridge Street, Lexington), Roger Tung (3 Burnham Road, Lexington), and Eli Warsawski (15 Ingleside Road, Lexington) 1. Meeting Minutes Renen Bassik moved to approve the minutes from the December 11th meeting and Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 2. Liaison Reports Kathleen Lenihan, School Committee liaison, reported that the most recent School Building Committee (SBC) meeting was held on Monday, January 13th and that the work continues. Weiwei Li, liaison to the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC), indicated that he had no updates as Brian Kelley provided a LPSC later during the meeting. 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3. Recreation and Community Programs Report The January Recreation and Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. The Recreation Committee email correspondence from the previous month is also attached to the meeting minutes. 4. LHS Building Project Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, informed the Committee that the Select Board had a working session on Monday, January 13th regarding Article 97. The conversation focused on the process that will be followed and there will be an article at Town Meeting this year on this topic. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, encouraged Committee members to read through the Article 97 memo that has been prepared by Mina Makarious, Town Counsel with Anderson & Kreiger, LLP (memo is attached to the meeting minutes). Ms. Battite stated that there continues to be internal meetings about the athletic fields and the design team has indicated that it is not looking to impact Center #1, Center #2, or Center #7 (outfield area between C1 and C2) for the entirety of the project, which is a significant development. Ms. Battite and Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, met with SMMA on Tuesday, January 14th about the Field House. Renen Bassik asked about public access to the bathrooms in the new high school. As of now, the Field House and LHS Gym will be facing the Worthen Road side of the street. A FAQ sheet about the LHS Building Project is attached to the meeting minutes. 5. 5-Year Capital Plan Updates Melissa Battite provided updates on ongoing and upcoming capital improvement projects. The Lincoln #2 playing surface project will be going out to bid shortly with mobilization anticipated to begin in June. The bid results for the Pine Meadows clubhouse renovation came in favorable and will be moving forward. Mobilization is tentatively scheduled to begin in February with anticipated completion in July/August. A trailer and temporary restrooms will be brought in for the duration of the project. Annual Town Meeting will begin on Monday, March 24 th and the presentation slides and speeches are due the first week of February. Ms. Battite asked for volunteers who would be willing to record the presentations. The renovation of the Old Reservoir bathhouse is nearing completion. In working with the Department of Public Facilities (DPF), the building work should be completed in February and it will be operational for the upcoming season. The kickoff meeting about the design for the new athletic fields at Harrington was held on Thursday, January 9th. Work on the design will continue through early March. Rick DeAngelis informed the Committee that the playing surface replacement project at Lincoln #1 and the installation of lights at Lincoln #1 and Lincoln #3 has been accepted. The Playing Surface Working Group continues to have conversations about the upcoming Lincoln #2 project. Mr. DeAngelis said that the process has worked out quite well to date and Lexington is better off for having the working group partnership. 6. FY26 Fee Proposal – Melissa Battite Melissa Battite reviewed the proposed FY26 fee schedule. The packet with the memo and fee schedules is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Battite indicated that pending approval from the Committee, the FY26 fee schedule is scheduled to be voted on by the Select Board at its January 27th meeting. On the fee schedule, any item shaded in green represents a proposed increase whereas no color represents no change. The proposed increases fall under the cost centers of aquatics, day camps, leagues, and Pine Meadows. There are no proposed increases for Community Center room rentals or field permit and court use fees. If participation remains consistent, it is anticipated that the proposed increases would generate approximately $79,000 in additional revenue during the upcoming year. Ms. Battite added that a market analysis is completed of the surrounding communities when developing the fee proposal each year. Through this market analysis, it is important for the various cost centers, especially Pine Meadows Golf, to 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 remain competitive. After a brief conversation, Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the proposed FY2026 fee scheduled dated January 13, 2015, as presented, and for the fee schedule to go before the Select Board for approval at its meeting on January 27, 2025.” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 7. FY23 Justin Playground Presentation – Peter Coleman Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, presented an update to the Committee on the playground replacement project at Justin Park. A copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. The presentation began with an overview of the existing playground and its current condition. An independent playground audit completed by Innovative Playground Services, Inc. (IPS) in 2020 concluded that the Justin Playground “has a low priority for replacement.” Mr. Coleman then reviewed the scope for the proposed playground replacement and provided an update on the project history. Funding in the amount of $155,000 was approved at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. Two community meetings have been held with each meeting having less than ten people in attendance. Over the past year, staff have met with the Conservation Commission (ConCom) and Conservation Department staff and given the playground’s location and proximity to wetlands and Conservation land, it was determined that a wetland delineation as well as a limited existing conditions survey and proposed site plan would need to be completed before submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI) to ConCom. Activitas submitted a cost estimate in the amount of $42,250 to complete the survey, site plan, NOI, bidding, and construction administration. The cost estimate for the playground replacement is $139,000 and it is estimated that the installation of the accessible route would be $30,000. When adding these elements together, the total comes to $211,250, which is approximately $56,250 over budget. The Committee was asked to consider the various options that were presented and determine whether or not to move forward with this project. Rick DeAngelis asked if the scope of the project could be scaled back to fit within the budget and would it be worthwhile to reengage with the community. Renen Bassik stated that it was not in the Committee’s appetite to ask for additional funding at this time. Claire Sheth recommended monitoring use of the existing playground and giving the money that had been appropriated for this project back to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) since it is not a pressing need. Mr. DeAngelis acknowledged that there are limited resources available. Melissa Battite reiterated that the wetlands and Conservation land at this site are driving the cost and that it will not be possible to escape the wetness at Justin. With the playground structure being in good condition and with there being no immediate issues, Ms. Battite stated that she would hit the pause button even if the playground replacement was within the project budget. There was no one in attendance that wanted to speak on this item. Claire Sheth made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee votes to move forward with the recommended next steps for the Justin playground project as presented. This includes not moving forward with the playground replacement and returning the $155,000 in CPA funds to the Community Preservation Committee. Additionally, the existing playground equipment will be removed once it has exceeded its useful life and, through regular inspections and reasonable maintenance, once it is deemed no longer safe to use.” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 8. Lincoln Park Sub-Committee Update – Brian Kelley Brian Kelley, Chair of the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC), provided the Committee with an update and a written copy of the update is attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Kelley indicated this was the first time that he has presented at a Recreation Committee meeting since the passing of David Williams and he is trying to carry Mr. Williams’s mantle on. Rick DeAngelis echoed 4 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 Mr. Kelley’s sentiments and said that David Williams was a multi-faceted, talented, inspiring individual and always did what was best for the Lexington community. The LPSC supports ongoing maintenance and capital improvements at Lincoln Park. This includes all maintenance and upkeep at the park and their primary focus is the passive areas, such as the Roberta and Teresa Lee Fitness Path. The two public trusts (Kirk and Lee) had a balance of approximately $900,000 at the end of 2024. The boardwalk is in need of some significant upgrades and this project will go through a formal public bidding process. While it is a great resource, the composite boardwalk is in really poor condition, which is causing safety issues and Mr. Kelley wants to prioritize the surface of the boardwalk due to the safety concerns. Activitas has been brought in to do existing conditions work and complete the bid documents for this project. The initial proposal from Activitas was for $50,000, but a revised proposal with a reduced scope came in with a price tag of $20,000. The LPSC is striving to be as efficient as possible with the funding that is available and is interested with an as-is replacement. Mr. Kelley initially thought that the project could be completed for $70,000, but quickly came to the realization that permitting is time-consuming and expensive. Funding for the fitness stations replacement project was approved at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting last spring. Bob Pressman, resident of 22 Locust Avenue and member of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), stated the amount appropriated was $160,000 in CPA funds. The LPSC would like to work with the Committee on this project and would like to pursue fitness equipment replacement for stations in passive areas. Melissa Battite stated that huge strides have been made over the past three years when it comes to the working relationship between the LPSC and the Recreation and Community Programs Department. Staff meet more often with the LPSC and the LPSC is in a great place now with other Town departments (Finance, Procurement, and Conservation). Mr. DeAngelis recommended a site walk with Karen Mullins, Conservation Director. He added that while the boardwalk is physically located on land owned by the Hayden Recreation Centre, there is an agreement in place between the Town and Hayden where the Town maintains the boardwalk. In a presentation that Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager for Finance, gave to the Select Board on January 13th, it shows a total of $830,000 being designated for the replacement of the boardwalk at Lincoln Park in FY27. Mr. Kelley said that what the LPSC accomplishes in the short term will help determine what to move forward with down the road and noted that funding from the public trusts can be used on immediate boardwalk maintenance. Whereas a larger discussion is needed around the fitness stations replacement project, the safety issues that the boardwalk is presenting has become a higher priority for the LPSC. 9. 2025 Hard Court Surface – Tennis & Pickleball Locations Peter Coleman provided an overview on the 2024 tennis and pickleball season and presented options for the upcoming 2025 court season. A copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. This was a continuation of the presentation and discussion from the December 18, 2024 Recreation Committee meeting. The total number of memberships sold in 2024 was consistent with previous years. In 2024, there were 38,880 permitted court hours with 77% (29,968 hours) for tennis and 23% (8,912 hours) for tennis. By comparison, in 2023, there were 22,655 permitted court hours with 84% (18,987 hours) for tennis and 16% (3,668 hours) for pickleball. It should be noted that the Gallagher Tennis Courts were offline from June 19, 2023 through the remainder of the season). Between April 1st-November 24th, there were 3,605 permitted hours of pickleball use by the public at the Adams Courts in 2024. The parking concerns that were raised at Adams during the course of the year was noted. Membership of the Lexington Pickleball Club (LPC) continued to grow linearly throughout 2024. Their season ran from April 29th-October 31st and LPC used a total of 1,914 court hours for pickleball at the Adams and Clarke Courts in 2024. A survey was distributed to tennis and pickleball players at 5 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 the end of the season and 261 responses were received, 52 from tennis players, 179 from pickleball players, and 30 from individuals who play both sports. When asked if people would be in favor of continuing the pickleball pilot program at the Adams Courts in 2025, 83% of respondents said Yes while 17 % of the respondents said No (total of 252 respondents). Items for consideration for the 2025 season included the Valley Courts being reconstructed and are anticipated to be offline from April-August, the color of the pickleball lines at Adams is difficult to see, and the potential to increase the number of pickleball courts at Adams from four courts to six courts. Mr. Coleman concluded the presentation by reviewing the various options up for consideration for 2025 that were initially presented at the last Recreation Committee meeting. They included converting the pickleball pilot program at Adams to standard operations (Option A), reline the existing pickleball courts at Adams to a different color (Option B), reline and increase the number of pickleball courts at Adams from four to six (Option C), revert back to how the courts were permitted in 2023 and previous years (Option D), and consider having tennis only hours at Adams on certain days/times of the week (Option E). Rick DeAngelis asked Claire Sheth to share her thoughts. Ms. Sheth stated that the pickleball pilot program at Adams was a huge success and hard to turn back. Ideally, in the long term, the Committee could move forward with Option C while also maintaining the tennis lines at Adams. Ms. Sheth recommended keeping it the same as last year while repainting the existing pickleball courts at Adams in 2025 and then potentially look to expand to six pickleball courts with the fence realignment at Adams in 2026. Weiwei Li agreed with Ms. Sheth’s previous point and added that windscreens should be installed on the hill side of the Clarke Courts as well as on the entrance side at the Gallagher Tennis Courts. Renen Bassik inquired about what could be done to collaborate across courts and asked about the public demand for Adams and if there are highest demand hours where Adams could be used for either pickleball or tennis during non-peak hours. When Mr. DeAngelis suggested extending the pilot program for a year, Melissa Battite asked the Committee what an acceptable amount would be to invest in relining the courts for one year. Ms. Battite also wondered about the possibility of carving out some tennis-only hours at Adams. Playing devil’s advocate, Ms. Sheth asked about carving out pickleball-only hours at another site. Regardless, courts will still be lined for tennis and there is no capacity for pickleball at Gallagher. Members of the Committee agreed that pickleball is here to stay and it will be important to look at the courts in totality when making decisions. P.K. Shiu, resident of 1024 Massachusetts Avenue and LPC board member, compared the growth of pickleball versus tennis where there is a straight line up for pickleball while tennis growth has plateaued. Mr. Shiu added that the Valley Courts being offline will have minimum impact and that having six pickleball courts at Adams would result in a 50% increase in LPC revenue for the Recreation and Community Programs Department. Ms. Sheth reiterated that the Valley Courts being offline for a majority of the 2025 season is a crucial consideration when determining whether or not to increase the number of pickleball courts at Adams from four to six this year. At the end of the conversation, Claire Sheth made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to extend the pilot pickleball program at the Adams Courts for the 2025 season while simultaneously pursuing more cost-effective options for court delineation between the tennis and pickleball courts at the Adams Courts.” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 26th at 7:00pm. The January 15th, 2025 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8:59pm. 6 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached:  January 2025 Recreation & Community Programs Report  Recreation Committee Email Correspondence  Memo on Process for Article 97 Land Disposition  Building Project Frequently Asked Questions Information Sheet  FY26 Fee Schedule – memo and proposed fee schedules  Justin Playground Presentation Slides  Lincoln Park Sub-Committee Update  2024 Tennis & Pickleball Overview and Next Steps for 2025 Presentation Slides  Memo from the Lexington Pickleball Club (LPC) Board on the 2025 Pickleball Facilities Planning