Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-19-REC-min Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Carl Fantasia Claire Sheth Renen Bassik Weiwei Li Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting March 19, 2025 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 via Zoom as a remote meeting. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Renen Bassik, Carl Fantasia, Weiwei Li, and Claire Sheth Members Absent: Christian Boutwell Staff Present: Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation and Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director Others Present: Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), Guy Jarvis (97 Woburn Street, Lexington), Doreen Karoll (76 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Doug Lucente (Select Board Chair), Ali Lynch (10 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Janna Mendonca (1 John Wilson Lane, Lexington), Hien Nguyen (17 Holland Street, Lexington), Steve Parus (19 Ledgelawn Avenue, Lexington), P.K. Shiu (1024 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington), Rachel Summers (384 Lincoln Street, Lexington), Alex Tsouvalas (77 Grant Street, Lexington), Leslie Wilcott-Henrie (70 East Street, Lexington) 1. Public Comment – none 2. February Minutes Renen Bassik moved to approve the minutes from the February 26, 2025 meeting and Carl Fantasia seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 3. LHS Building Project Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, informed the Committee that Community Forum #10 for the LHS School Building Project was being held on Wednesday, March 19 th. Items on the forum agenda included a project and schedule update, community question responses, and Q & A. Mr. Coleman also stated that staff from LHS Athletics and Recreation & Community Programs have reviewed initial conceptual drawings and provided feedback to SMMA regarding the location of new fields that will replace the fields that are displaced during the project. The renderings that were reviewed are only preliminary in nature and no final decision has been made at this point in time. 4. 5-Year Capital Plan The Recreation Committee’s Annual Report on Recreation Capital Projects is attached to the meeting minutes. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, recognized the contributions of Christian Boutwell, Renen Bassik, and Claire Sheth in putting together this year’s report. Mr. DeAngelis acknowledged that a tremendous amount of work, time, and effort 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 went into this document and it is something that all Committee members can be proud of. After his comments, Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the Recreation Committee Annual Report on Recreation Capital Projects to be presented to Annual Town Meeting as written and was presented during the meeting tonight .” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 5. Lexington Farmers’ Market – Annual Request Leslie Wilcott-Henrie, resident of 70 East Street and President of the Lexington Farmers’ Market, provided an overview of the 2024 season and reviewed the request for the upcoming 2025 season. Both of these documents are attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Wilcott-Henrie indicated that 2024 was a positive season for the Farmers’ Market. There were barricades set up around the site and the Farmers’ Market continues to work closely with the Police Department and DPW. With the installation of the new throwing cage at the Worthen Road practice field, Ms. Wilcott-Henrie developed a good rapport with James Hall, Lexington High School track coach, last year to ensure that the field was divot-free after it was used by the track team. The Farmers’ Market met with the Commission on Disability regarding the access road. This year will mark the Market’s fifth year at this location. Filling in the divots and keeping the field in good condition will continue to be points of emphasis during the year. Ms. Wilcott-Henrie noted that the LHS Baseball Boosters storage box that was delivered on March 19th will need to be relocated because in its current location, it will interfere with the operations of the Farmers’ Market. Peter Coleman indicated that he had been in communication with the LHS Baseball Boosters regarding this issue. An onsite meeting with both organizations, Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, and Mr. Coleman will be scheduled in the coming weeks. At the conclusion of the discussion, Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the Lexington Farmers’ Market use of the Worthen Road Practice Field in accordance with the dates, times, and conditions as reflected in the Recreation Committee Request: 2025 Special Event Permit for LFM use of Worthen Road Practice Field and as presented at our meeting this evening.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 6. Tree Committee – Mini Forest Proposal Rachel Summers, resident of 384 Lincoln Street and member of the Lexington Tree Committee, gave a presentation about a pocket forest pilot at Lincoln Park and a copy of the presentation slides is attached to the meeting minutes. A pocket forest is a densely planted, fast-growing mini- forest using native trees and plants. A mini forest grows 5-10 times faster than traditional tree plantings and is self-sustaining after 2-3 years. Ms. Summers explained the ecological benefits of a mini-forest and provided examples of some in the area. Lawns dominate the landscape and this pilot project would take advantage of unused land. Ms. Summers stated that Lincoln Park would be an ideal location because it is a Town-owned, accessible site, there is underused open space, and the trees would provide shade for spectators. An aerial map outlined potential locations for where the min-forest could be situated. Ms. Summers concluded her presentation by reviewing what a mini-forest might look like, what would take place during the transition phase, and the steps that would be involved in the process. Ms. Summers has been in communication with Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, on this initiative. Mr. Pinsonneault agreed that the best option would be for the mini-forest to be located next to Lincoln #2. Members of the Committee expressed their support for this idea and emphasized that the timing of this request was beneficial as it could be incorporated into the Lincoln Park Master Plan and potentially other projects as well in the future. Mr. Pinsonneault indicated that next steps would include Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, and he speaking to Activitas if the Committee wants to move forward. In terms of funding, Mr. Pinsonneault said that the source would be the Tree Fund and Ms. Summers added 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 that this is very affordable if purchased in the spring. Ongoing maintenance would fall under the Forestry Division and be funded by the Tree Fund. Ms. Summers informed the Committee that when trees grow closely together, they do not need as much care and are inherently more stable. Mr. Pinsonneault has spoken with Chris Filadoro and they are both in support of this initiative. If the Committee supports the initiative, then staff would speak with members of the Lincoln Park Sub-Committee (LPSC) to receive input and feedback. While no formal vote was taken, the Committee members came to a consensus and were in favor of this concept moving forward to see what may be possible at Lincoln Park. 7. Liaison/Working Group Updates Before the liaison and working group updates, Renen Bassik provided an updated on the emails that the Recreation Committee account received over the past month. There were two primary topics. One was an email from the Lexington Pickleball Club (LPC) with letters of support from LPC and the Battle Green Tennis League (BGTL). The LPC letter expressed its support for increasing the number of pickleball courts from four to six at the Adams Courts and the BGTL letter expressed its support for dedicating Adams for pickleball use only. The second topic was a citizen’s letter that expressed a desire to not demolish the Lexington Public Schools central administration building and not construct athletic fields at this location. Rod Cole, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) liaison, had no CEC updates and Weiwei Li, liaison to the LPSC, reported that the LPSC had not met during the previous month and had no updates. Claire Sheth, chair of the Tennis & Pickleball Working Group (TPWG), referenced the letters that LPC and BGTL submitted regarding the Adams Courts and informed the Committee that she met with representatives from both organizations on Monday, March 17th. Tom Shiple, past president of the Lexington United Soccer Club (LUSC) and the leader of the Light Up Lincoln campaign, was also in attendance at that meeting. It was stated during the meeting that currently, there is no available land to build new pickleball courts. The pilot pickleball program worked well in 2024 at the Adams Courts as there were minimal concerns or issues raised and at its January 15, 2025 meeting, the Committee voted to operationalize Adams the same in 2025 as it was in 2024. In working with the department on the court schedule, LPC’s utilization at Adams will increase during the upcoming spring season. It was acknowledged that while it would be tight, it would be possible to overlay six pickleball courts at Adams. At its January meeting, the Committee decided that while there may be six pickleball courts at Adams eventually, it will likely not be feasible this year with the impending Valley Courts reconstruction project and the enhancements at Adams will not be simple if it involves public bidding or staff oversight. During the meeting with LPC and BGTL, Ms. Sheth explained the Town-wide capital planning process and mentioned that a potential solution would be to privately fund the proposed improvements at Adams. If representatives from LPC and BGTL could generate financial support for this initiative, then relining and repainting the courts and reconfiguring the fence at Adams could potentially take place this year. The proponents indicated to Ms. Sheth that they would be willing to undertake the process of finding vendors who could complete the fence reconfiguration and court relining. Ms. Sheth and those in attendance agreed that Adams is the most likely to become a pickleball-only facility in the future. For the time being, if the enhancements proceed, six pickleball courts would be overlaid on the two tennis courts at Adam so the courts would be lined for both sports. Representatives from LPC will work with Melissa Battite and Peter Coleman on the parameters and details for this project and coordinating the timing would be important. Any potential vendors will be vetted to ensure they have the qualifications and prerequisite work experience required to perform these enhancements. Ms. Sheth expressed how generous this is of the pickleball community and that it would be a win- win for the entire Lexington community. As far as next steps are concerned, LPC will come back 4 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 with a detailed proposal and they believe that the Adams Courts would only be offline for one week to complete the work. Overall, Ms. Sheth said that there was a good conversation throughout the meeting and it was a very productive session. Members of the Committee thought this was a great idea that exhibited creative problem solving and are looking forward to seeing the formal proposal from LPC. Once the proposal has been submitted and the details have been finalized, a notice will be sent out to abutters to make them aware of the scope and timing for the enhancements. Doug Lucente, Chair of the Select Board, spoke to the legal protections around donations and recommended talking with Town Counsel once it is known whether or not this project is moving forward. Ms. Sheth will follow up with LPC regarding next steps, which will include a public notice, conversation with Town Counsel, and a formal vote and blessing from the Committee before the work commences. Renen Bassik and Rick DeAngelis commented that working groups are being successful and commended Ms. Sheth for all of the time and effort that she has put into leading the TPWG over the years. 8. Recreation and Community Programs Report The March Recreation and Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. Peter Coleman reviewed the highlights from the report. Annual Town Meeting will begin on Monday, March 24th and an information sheet that was distributed to Town Meeting Members is also attached. Charlie Schroeder, Recreation Coordinator, successfully passed the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) exam and a total of seven staff members now have the CPRP certification. An adaptive basketball pilot program was held at the Cotting School this winter. It was a tremendous success and the department will look to host additional programs at Cotting in the future. At the Community Center, there were over 1,200 hours in room reservations and approximately 12,000 visitors in the last 30 days. Summer staff interviews are ongoing with the goal of having the leadership positions filled by the end of the month. It is anticipated that the restrooms at the Center Recreation Complex and Lincoln Park will be de-winterized during the second week of April. In the meantime, there will be portable toilets at each location. The LHS Baseball Boosters have decided to improve the existing batting cage at Center #1 rather than installing a new one at the site. For capital projects updates, Activitas has requested that the public hearing for the Valley Courts reconstruction project be reopened at the Conservation Commission meeting on Tuesday, April 8th, so that project is currently on hold. There were approximately 30 people in attendance at the first new Harrington Fields community meeting on Tuesday, March 11th and the second community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 th. The bid opening for the Lincoln #2 project was held on Thursday, March 13 th. The bids came in within budget and the contract will be awarded to RAD Sports. The base bid and the first two alternates (spectator seat wall and path improvements) have been accepted and RAD Sports completed the resurfacing projects at Lincoln #2 and #3 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The clubhouse renovation at Pine Meadows is under contract and the contractor will mobilize before the end of the month. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00pm. The March 19th, 2025 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8:31pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation 5 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached:  Recreation Committee Annual Report on Recreation Capital Projects  Lexington Farmers’ Market Recreation Committee Update: March 2025  Lexington Farmers’ Market Recreation Committee Request: 2025 Special Event Permit for LFM use of Worthen Road Practice Field  Pocket Forest Pilot at Lincoln Park presentation slides  March 2025 Recreation & Community Programs Report  Recreation Committee Information Sheet to Town Meeting Members  Recreation Committee Email Correspondence