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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-02-26-REC-min`OV S IWOgN� OQ 1775 1Q a - F $= w 3 a s V APRIL 19, �FXI NGS�� Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair Carl Fantasia Claire Sheth Renen Bassik Weiwei Li Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting February 26, 2025 Tel: (781) 698-4800 Fax: (781) 861-2747 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 in person and via Zoom as a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm in Police Headquarters Community Room, located at 1575 Massachusetts Avenue. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Christian Boutwell, Renen Bassik, Carl Fantasia, Weiwei Li, and Claire Sheth Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, and Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director Others Present: Anil Ahuja (7 Leonard Road, Lexington), Suzie Barry (Select Board liaison), Mike Barry, Dana Williams Barry, Thomas Barry, Meg Buczynski and Ben McDonough (Activitas), Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), and Keith Ohmart (114 East Street, Lexington) Arlington) 1. Public Comment — none 2. Recognition of Suzie Barry Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, began by thanking Ms. Barry for all of her support over the years as the Select Board liaison to the Committee and that the Committee would not be where it is without all of her counsel, wisdom, advice, and leadership. Suzie Barry made some remarks where she thanked the Committee and stated that when she began as the Select Board liaison, she thought Recreation consisted of the Town Pool, tennis courts, and playgrounds. There is so much more to Recreation and Lexington is fortunate to have so many maintained at an A+ level throughout town. The Community Center, Lincoln Park, and the Center Recreation Complex are all crown jewels and Recreation impacts every single member of the community. Ms. Barry encouraged the Committee to be proud of all of its accomplishments. In recent years, there have been some hard fights in Town Meeting and she appreciated how the Committee approached these with grace and wisdom. Ms. Barry implored the Committee to not give up the fight and be balanced as the Recreation resources need to be protected. She added that Melissa Battite has taken some hard hits and the Town is fortunate to have the staff that we do. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, thanked Ms. Barry for all of her contributions and for taking the liaison position to a different level. The Committee and Department have achieved what we have because she has been there every step of the way and she has certainly raised the bar going forward. Ms. Battite could not thank Ms. Barry enough, adding that it has been a privilege to work with her during her eight years with the Department and that she will be sorely missed. Claire Sheth echoed these sentiments by saying that Ms. Barry set a high bar for what a civic servant looks like and is grateful for everything that she has done. Christine Dean, Community Center Director, remembered her first budget meeting in Lexington when Ms. Barry cracked a smile and made a joke about the staff's outfits being color - coordinated. Ms. Dean appreciated how welcoming Ms. Barry was in that moment and in all her interactions. The recognition concluded with Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, presenting Ms. Barry with a Recreation swag bag. 3. December 18, 2024 and January 15, 2025 Meeting Minutes Renen Bassik moved to approve the minutes from the December 18, 2024 meeting and Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. Renen Bassik moved to approve the minutes from the January 15, 2025 meeting and Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 4. LHS Building Project Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, provided the Committee with some updates on the LHS school building project. On Monday, February 10', Town and School representatives had a site visit at Wayland High School to tour their field house which was renovated in 2010. SMMA is scheduled to review Article 97 at the Recreation Committee meeting in either March or April. This meeting will look at the 8.4 acres of the parcel that will need to be swapped and discuss what the Committee would like to see out of the new park area. Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee, asked if Center #1, Center #2, and Center #7 will not be impacted at all during the project and Ms. Battite said that is the plan as of now and the premise that we are working under as the geothermal wells will be installed under other parts of the parcel. Mr. Boutwell referenced the memo from Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools, that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has accepted Lexington into the next step of the process. Rick DeAngelis asked if Town Counsel should join the Article 97 Recreation Committee meeting and it was acknowledged that this was a good idea. 5. Liaison Reports Christian Boutwell, liaison to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), said that the CPC will vote to approve the submission of the CPC report to Town Meeting at its meeting on Thursday, February 27t''. Weiwei Li, liaison to the Lincoln Park Sub -Committee (LPSC), indicated that the LPSC did not meet during the previous month and referenced the emails that have been received about the boardwalk project (update included in the monthly Recreation and Community Programs report). Rick DeAngelis recognized Mr. Boutwell for all of his contributions to the CPC and that his work has been off -the -charts exceptional. 6. Recreation and Community Programs Report The February Recreation and Community Programs Report, letters concerning the Pine Meadows clubhouse renovation, support letters for articles that will be presented at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, and a memo to the Fund for Lexington, are attached to the meeting minutes. The Recreation Committee email correspondence from the previous month is also attached to the meeting minutes. Melissa Battite informed the Committee that the Recreation capital articles will be on the agenda at the Town Meeting Members Association (TMMA) information night scheduled for Thursday, March 13t' at the Diamond Middle School auditorium. Peter Coleman indicated that approximately $195,000 was generated in revenue during the first day of spring and summer program registration on Tuesday, February 25' and that over half of the seasonal resident tennis/pickleball memberships were sold on the first day. Christine Dean highlighted the Lunar New Year celebrations that took place at the Community Center. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 7. ACROSS Lexington Request Keith Ohmart, resident of 114 East Street and Chair of the Greenways Corridor Committee (GCC), presented a request to realign the existing foot trail at Bowman Park, which is located at the intersection of Watertown Street and Pleasant Street. A copy of the proposal is attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Ohmart has previously met with Karen Mullins, Conservation Director, about the parcel that is split between Conservation and Recreation. This project would realign part of the social trail away from the wetland. A boardwalk would be needed and Mr. Ohmart was looking for the Committee's permission to do the work. Melissa Battite indicated that Bowman Park is not a space that is currently being considered for active or passive recreation and emphasized the Department's support for ACROSS Lexington and the GCC. Members of the Committee were in agreement on their support for the proposal. After a brief discussion, Renen Bassik made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to support the proposal presented by ACROSS Lexington to relocate the boardwalk at Bowman Park as shown on the plan and in coordination with the Recreation and Community Programs Department." Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 8. 5 -Year Capital Plan a. Review of the Lincoln Field #2 Design — Activitas Meg Buczynski from Activitas provided the Committee with a status update on the Lincoln #2 project. The project schedule, site plan, and cost estimate are attached to the meeting minutes. This project is currently out to bid. There was a good turnout at the pre-bid meeting on Tuesday, February 25'. The bid opening is scheduled for Thursday, March 13' at 12:00pm. Pending the results, the project is scheduled to mobilize on Monday, June 16t1i. The project consists of the base bid plus four alternates. The base bid calls for the replacement of the turf field, installing tension netting at the ends of the field, relocating the controller for the scoreboard table, and landscaping and planting work. Ms. Buczynski anticipates the project being two months of work. The first alternate is to install a seat wall similar to the one at Lincoln #1. The second alternate is to rework the gravel pathway back behind the field and make a connection between the pathway and team areas for accessibility. The third alternate calls for the replacement of the lighting fixtures with LED lights. The fourth and final alternate is to fence off an area by the softball outfield fence and install storage areas. This is thought to be more of a long-term consideration. Ms. Buczynski reviewed the cost estimate with the Committee. The overall project budget is $1,810,000. The cost estimate for the base bid is $1,791,201.18. The cost estimate includes projections for how much each of the alternates will cost and whether or not any of the alternates can be included will be dependent on the bid results. Rick DeAngelis asked Ms. Buczynski to give a brief explanation about the sustainability specifications. Ms. Buczynski said that the specs call for the repurposing of the existing turf materials, as able. For the new turf, the content of heavy metals and PFAS will all be below the Massachusetts limit. Renen Bassik asked about the inclusion of accessible seating, water filling stations, and shade structures in the project. Ms. Buczynski replied with while these items do not fit in the base bid budget, they could be added as a change order. The Committee agreed with the order of the alternates and that it would be logical to keep them in the current order. Melissa Battite added that the removal of four fitness stations is included, which will help with the Lincoln Park fitness stations replacement project. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 b. Discuss 146 Maple Street/Harrington Field Design — Activitas Meg Buczynski also gave the Committee an update on the design for the new athletic fields at 146 Maple Street, which is the site of the current Lexington Public Schools Central Administration Building, located next to the Harrington School. The presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. This is an exciting opportunity to gain additional athletic fields. The 2021-2022 Comprehensive Study of Athletic & Outdoor Recreation Facilities that was completed by Weston & Sampson was referenced. The rectangle fields included on the concept plan are on the smaller side for full-size fields. This project is dependent on when the LPS Central Office is removed and the timeline for that demolition has not been determined yet. The kickoff meeting with Town staff was held on Thursday, January 9t1i and the project was reviewed with the Sports Advisory Council (SAC) during its meeting on Tuesday, January 21St. The SAC expressed a real interest in multi -use space with flexibility. Ms. Buczynski next reviewed the existing conditions and indicated that the solar canopies will remain. For the initial conceptual layouts, while one shows a baseball and softball field, they do not fit very well at this site. Melissa Battite informed the Committee that Lexington Little League is looking to move its operations from Center to Lincoln with improvements and moving amenities such as scoreboards. There is a significant grade change at the 146 Maple Street site that will require a substantial amount of fill in that area. The potential for lighting will be considered and the regulatory constraints within the buffer zone would require filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the Conservation Commission. The first public meeting on this project is scheduled to be held in a few weeks. Christian Boutwell expressed his concerns with the timing for information. He believes that there will be trouble if the Committee is not able to approve a design for this project prior to it being presented at Town Meeting and that Town Meeting will not support any funding for this project unless it has a design to vote on. Mr. Boutwell's fear is that this is not what the Committee has been laying the groundwork for and that Town Meeting members will balk at this request. Claire Sheth asked if this request should be delayed until the 2025 Special Town Meeting in the fall. This project is under an aggressive timeline with the $120,000 appropriated at 2024 Special Town Meeting for schematic design and survey. How Mr. Boutwell envisioned it, the Committee would present the project to go forward, whether it is for grass or turf fields, at Town Meeting. Between now and Town Meeting, Rick DeAngelis said there would need to be public meetings to engage and receive feedback from the community and then the Committee could make its decision on one design option. Mr. Boutwell concurred, thinking it would be best to present a singular option, with advocacy, to Town Meeting. Mr. DeAngelis questioned the opposition to turf fields as growing sentiment in the community which Mr. Boutwell replied to by saying this has been given fair and due consideration. Mr. DeAngelis believes that the Committee needs to advance the public input process as quickly as possible. Ms. Battite indicated that the first community would be held before March 19' and the second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15th Ms. Battite reiterated that everything is contingent on whether or not the LPS Central Admin Building demolition article passes and this project cannot be presented to Town Meeting until that article is voted on. The goal is to continue from schematic design to full design and construction documents now and then request construction funding at the 2026 Annual Town Meeting next spring. If approved, the demo of the building will take place in Winter 2026 and the Town could take ownership of the land in late winter/early spring 2026. Mr. Boutwell recommended moving the April Recreation Committee meeting to earlier in April so the Committee would meet twice between now and Town Meeting. The request would be to ask for sufficient funding to take the project from 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 selected design to construction documents for preferred option. Mr. DeAngelis thought it would be important to explain what design development means and why it is after Town Meeting. c. Annual Town Meeting requests A draft of the Committee's Annual Report on Recreation Capital Projects is attached to the meeting minutes. Christian Boutwell thanked Renen Bassik and Claire Sheth for their assistance with the report as well as Peter Coleman for his review of the report. The report recognizes the evolution of funding for Recreation capital projects with requests being made to the CPC for CPA funds having increased as well as the desire for higher financial support for affordable housing, which needs to be a larger, public community conversation. Rick DeAngelis admitted that every year poses different challenges. Claire Sheth said she has an unsettling feeling that the Committee is being asked to do more with less and that the day of reckoning is coming. Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to approve the draft of the Recreation Committee Annual Report on Recreation Capital Protects to Town Meeting with revisions and an explanation of the challenges that need to be met on a yearly basis, which include: (1) necessity of maintaining capital assets and the changing needs of the community, and (2) the impact of the LHS School Building Project." Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. Before adjourning the meeting, the Committee changed the date of the April meeting to Tuesday, April 8t'. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 19th at 7:00pm. The February 26`h, 2025 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9:06pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • February 2025 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Pine Meadows Golf Course Clubhouse Renovation Letters to Abutters and Golfers • Lexington SEPAC/SEPTA Support Letter for Center Playground Replacement (Article 10g) • Lexington Sports Advisory Council Support Letter for new athletic fields next to Harrington School (Article 10h) and field replacement at Lincoln #3 (Article 10i) • Memo to the Fund for Lexington with 2025 Updates • Recreation Committee Email Correspondence • Greenways Corridor Committee Bowman Park Trail Realignment/Boardwalk Proposal • Project Schedule, Site Plan, and Cost Estimate for the Lincoln #2 field replacement project • Harrington Field Design Update Presentation Slides • Draft of the Recreation Committee's Annual Report on Recreation Capital Projects 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421