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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-08-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 April 8, 2025 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 via Zoom as a remote meeting. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Christian Boutwell, Renen Bassik, Weiwei Li, and Claire Sheth Members Absent: Carl Fantasia Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, and Maggie Peard, Sustainability & Resilience Officer Others Present: Cindy Arens (7 Kitson Park Drive, Lexington), Meg Buczynski (Activitas), Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), Doreen Karoll (76 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Janet Kern (72 Lowell Street), Jeanne Krieger (44 Webster Road, Lexington), Kathleen Lenihan (School Committee liaison), Ali Lynch (10 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Sanjay Padaki (Appropriation Committee liaison), Steve Parus (19 Ledgelawn Avenue, Lexington), Tom Shiple (18 Phinney Road, Lexington), P.K. Shiu (1024 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington), Laura Swain (29 Locust Avenue, Lexington), Jillian Tung (3 Burnham Road, Lexington), 1. March 2025 Meeting Minutes Weiwei Li moved to approve the minutes from the March 19, 2025 meeting and Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve this motion. 2. LHS Building Project Updates Kathleen Lenihan, School Committee liaison, reported that work on the schematic design is well- underway. It will be complete in early summer and hard cost estimates will be received in August. Ms. Lenihan recommended that people go to the School Building Committee (SBC) website for updates. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, referenced a memo that was submitted to SMMA that highlighted the storage needs and amenities that will need to be replicated on the new side of the park. The memo is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Battite reiterated that during recent months of the planning process, it has been indicated that the Center #1 baseball field and Center #2 softball field will not be impacted for the duration of the project. SMMA is interested in coming to an upcoming Recreation Committee meeting. A permanent space for the throwing cage has not been identified yet and this needs to remain in close proximity to the Center Track. Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair of the Recreation Committee, expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the SBC to maintain as much field space as possible. 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3. LHS Storage Request – Lincoln Fields Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, reviewed the request that was submitted by Naomi Martin, Director of Athletics for the Lexington Public Schools, to place two small storage boxes/bins at Lincoln Park. A copy of the request, which indicates that the storage would be used by the cross country and field hockey team, is attached to the meeting minutes. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, acknowledged that storage needs change over time and it is prudent to store essential equipment onsite. Mr. DeAngelis asked if the Lincoln Park Sub- Committee (LPSC) should be informed of this request and Melissa Battite this would not fall under its purview since the LPSC’s focus is on passive recreation. Ms. Battite added that the LPSC had been informed about previous initiatives, such as the story walk and scoreboard installations. Mr. DeAngelis said that the Committee could advise the LPSC that storage containers will be placed at the park and members agreed with this. After a brief discussion, Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee moves to approve the installation of storage facilities for the Lexington High School field hockey and cross country teams at Lincoln Park for essential equipment with the locations, dimensions, and size criteria approved by the Director of Recreation and Community Programs and the DPW Director or their designees.” Christian Boutwell seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 4. Community Center Outdoor Play Equipment Request Christine Dean, Community Center Director, reviewed a memo regarding the BCI Burke Great Play Giveaway. The memo is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Dean reported that in September 2024, the Department was notified that it was the recipient of the Great Play Giveaway promotional contest for a free playground. However, the giveaway did not include the freight, shipping, and installation costs for the playground equipment. In its place, the Department was issued a $5,000 voucher to be used towards any play structure of equipment manufactured by BCI Burke. Staff reviewed several options and selected an outdoor sports product called P6Ball to be installed at the Community Center. The financial breakdown for this equipment is provided in the memo. It is anticipated that the equipment will be delivered 7-8 weeks after the order is placed and the installation is scheduled for mid-June, prior to the summer season. Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee recommends acceptance to the Select Board and Town Manager of the BCI Burke P6Ball play equipment, a gift worth approximately $5,000, to be installed on Town property at the Lexington Community Center.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 5. Capital Solar Integration Policy Maggie Peard, Sustainability & Resilience Officer, reviewed the draft of the Capital Projects & Solar Canopy Integration Policy (CSIP) with the Committee. Ms. Peard explained that the purpose of this policy is to evaluate the potential for incorporating solar canopies in capital improvement projects and to ensure that the solar potential is known at the right step in the process, specifically when it comes to parks and parking lots. In terms of policy scope, an initial feasibility assessment would provide a loose estimate for the return on investment, which would help determine if solar should even be considered at a specific location. If design funding is approved, further details are needed, including approval by DPW, Fire, and the Recreation Committee if it would be installed on Recreation land or included as part of a Recreation capital improvement project. Ms. Peard indicated that the construction request for solar would align with the construction request for the project. Town staff have reviewed the policy and it is now be introduced to various committees, such as the Recreation Committee, Sustainable Lexington, and the Capital Expenditures Committee, before it is presented to and voted on by the Select Board. Renen Bassik asked if the Committee would need to explain why not to install solar over such facilities/amenities as tennis courts and playgrounds as it may make the project justification more 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 difficult. Ms. Peard said it would be important to have a better understanding of categories that this policy may not be relevant for. Christian Boutwell referenced that the Department of Public Facilities (DPF) is working on a Request for Proposals (RFP) for solar consultants and asked which department would be responsible for covering the initial cost. Melissa Battite informed the Committee that there is a sustainability line for each project in the 5-year capital plan and acknowledged that the solar canopy over the Clarke Courts has caused damage that was unanticipated. 6. Harrington Athletic Fields – Article 10h Meg Buczynski from Activitas provided the Committee with an update on the proposed design for the new Harrington Athletic Fields project. The presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Buczynski began by reviewing what has taken place to date during the schematic design phase and then talked about the existing conditions at the site. Ms. Buczynski gave an overview of the feedback that was gathered during two meetings in January, one with Town staff and the other with the Sports Advisory Council. A series of initial conceptual layouts were then reviewed. At this point, the discussion focused on the preferred layout, opinions of costs, and surface type comparison. Going into this project, the goal is to make this site more park-like with both active and passive recreation opportunities at this location. The cost opinions consisted of three different field options: 1) native topsoil, 2) sand-based root zone, and 3) synthetic turf. The cost estimates for these three types of field are $4.3 million for native topsoil, $4.7 million for sand-based root zone, and $5.9 million for synthetic turf. While cost is one factor that is being considered, usage is another factor to consider as well. To sustain good field conditions, it is recommended to have 200 hours or less of use each year, for fair to good conditions, it is recommended to have 400-600 hours of use each year, and annual usage of over 800 hours will result in poor field conditions. The funding request that will be voted on at Town Meeting is approximately $1.2 million between design & engineering ($160,000), project management/construction administration ($120,000), and construction/contingency ($917,904). At the conclusion of the presentation, members of the Committee had the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments. Renen Bassik appreciated the comprehensive presentation and tried to understand why it would be all right to exceed the recommended usage. Claire Sheth thought it would be beneficial to explore the sand-based root zone option as this seems like the right-size project for this type of field, is a great compromise, and would allow the Town to be prudent with its choice of materials. Ms. Sheth added that it would be wise to lay the conduit for lights and put the infrastructure in place, but not commit to the installation of lights at this time. Christian Boutwell found the presentation to be extremely helpful and noted that the proximity to wetlands adds another element to this project. Mr. Boutwell added that now, more than ever, cost is at the front of everyone’s mind and he encouraged the Committee to consider both the installation and 10-year replacement costs in an attempt to be fiscally prudent. Mr. Boutwell stated that Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, has concerns of increased fields with a level or reduced maintenance budget, which could cause the optimal number of hours to be reduced. With Article 10h scheduled to be presented and voted on at Town Meeting within the next week, the funding request will have the best chance to pass if the Committee can provide an official position on its intention for this project. Members in the audience were then given the chance to make comments and ask questions. Laura Swain, resident of 29 Locust Avenue, thought that a scoreboard would be overkill unless the fields will be used by Lexington High School Athletics and asked if the cricket pitch could be included on the current Harrington fields. Tom Shiple, resident of 18 Phinney Road, questioned the proposed replacement costs for this project versus the cost for the Lincoln #3 replacement project. Ms. Buczynski replied by saying that while Harrington would be a straight replacement of the surface, Lincoln requires going below the surface and that the electrical infrastructure 4 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 could already be in place at Harrington. Sanjay Padaki, Appropriation Committee liaison, stated that without the installation of lights, cricket use would be limited. Jeanne Krieger, resident of 44 Webster Road, thought that grass fields can be used for more hours than was being predicted. Melissa Battite responded by saying that Mr. Pinsonneault could speak to if Lexington has the capability to maintain fields at this level and that Activitas is one of the leaders in installing specialty grass fields. Between Mr. Pinsonneault and Activitas, the Town is in very good hands. Ms. Battite reiterated that the Town has a successful grass lighted facility with the Center #1 baseball field and Center #2 softball field. The focus should be on what the deficit is and address it from there. This is a unique opportunity to create a new park with an athletic facility as this has not been done in decades. This opportunity should be maximized given the competition for funding and Ms. Battite encouraged the Committee to not discount the use of lights at this site. Upon hearing this, Rick DeAngelis agreed that installing the infrastructure as part of the project would not cost too much, comparatively speaking. Mr. Boutwell said that while the final design is not needed now, perhaps there are conceptual options that could be decided upon, such as field option, surface types, and lights, to provide some clarity to Town Meeting. Rod Cole, Capital Expenditures Committee liaison, recommended using language that Town Meeting is accustomed to. A funding request for a lower amount will be helpful given how the CPA budget will be impacted over the next few years. Mr. Cole encouraged the Committee to set itself up for success and make decisions that the members are comfortable with. Mr. Bassik believed that lighting would provide a considerable amount of value. Members of the Committee expressed that they were in favor of including the infrastructure for lighting. Ms. Battite reiterated that this is the first time in a long time that the Town will have the opportunity to add a brand-new outdoor recreation facility into the park system. Mr. Boutwell emphasized that in order for Article 10h to pass at Town Meeting, the Committee needs to provide more specific clarification with what its intention is and he feared that without specifics, the Committee would face substantial headwinds to get this article passed. After an extensive discussion, Christian Boutwell made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee plans to pursue a field layout for the Harrington/Maple Street athletic field project for two large rectangle fields that can contain within them a cricket field overlay to be composed of a high-quality, sand-based rootzone natural grass field substantively as presented in Option 5, the preferred layout, at the April 8, 2025 Recreation Committee meeting.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve this motion. 7. Recreation and Community Programs Report The April Recreation and Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. 8. Liaison Report No liaison reports were submitted prior to the meeting. Claire Sheth said that she received an email from the Lexington Pickleball Club (LPC) and she met with representatives from LPC to discuss relining the Adams Courts. LPC is interested in reconfiguring the fence, lining six pickleball courts (instead of four courts that are at the site currently), and having there be an easier delineation for the pickleball lines. When considering the scope for these enhancements, it should also be taken into consideration if these courts will be replaced within the next five years. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 21 st at 7:00pm. The April 8th, 2025 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9:33pm. 5 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached:  Center Recreation Complex Equipment Storage and Amenities Requirements Memo  LHS Athletics Request for Storage at Lincoln Park  BCI Burke Great Play Giveaway Memo  Draft of Capital Projects & Solar Canopy Integration Policy (CSIP)  Harrington Field Presentation Slides  April 2025 Recreation & Community Programs Report  LHS Athletics Support Letters for Articles 10(h) and 10(i)  Working Group Memo – March 3, 2025  Recreation Committee Email Correspondence