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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-28-REC-min `pus IWOgN�Y pQ' PTTs c Town of Lexington a Recreation Committee APRIL 19 FX I IN UV Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Lisa O'Brien Ruixi(Ray)Yuan Francesca Pfrommer Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting March 28, 2019 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 7:00pm at Cary Hall in the Hudson Room at the Lexington Town Hall, located at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Lisa O'Brien,Francesca Pfrommer Members Absent: Ruixi Yuan Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Hayato Tsurumaki, Recreation Supervisor, Christine Dean, Community Center Director Chris Filadoro, Grounds Supervisor and Dave Pinsonnault, Director of Public Works Others Present: Meg Buezynski(Architect with Activitas), and attached list of community members 1. Center Track and Field Reconstruction bid doe review—led by Activitas Meg Buczynski, architect with Activitas,presented an overview to the Committee of the bid documents. After the presentation, members of the Committee had the opportunity to ask Ms. Buczynski questions. Melissa Battite handed out copies of meetings minutes and letters written to the Committee as of that point. The letters from user groups speak to how the groups feel about field surface options. There was also a letter read from Select Board Chair, Suzie Barry, on behalf of resident Doug Lucente. Rick DeAngelis asked for Chris Filadoro and Dave Pinsonnault, DPW professionals, to give their opinion. Mr. Filadoro referenced a site visit to Gillette Stadium and the opinion of other professionals who were in favor of hybrid fields. It is a great surface, he added. The existing varsity football field is a higher end natural grass field and players have a preference for it. He added that he has been talking with sports turf managers across the country and the hybrid fields are popular in Europe, especially for soccer pitches. Mr. Filadoro feels comfortable with the maintenance needs of the hybrid turf Mr. Pinsonneault continued that the hybrid is a cutting edge technology; it is preferred by athletes, especially with regards to the lower heat compared to synthetic turf. He added that other activities in the area, like the summer camps and track, use the field as well. Mr. Pinsonnault would not be in favor of natural turf given the current high use of the field. If hybrid is the direction the Committee decided to pursue, he felt that DPW could provide a surface to fulfill the Town's needs. Mr. DeAngelis asked if Ms. Buczynski had an opinion on surface, to which she replied that both are good options. Francesca Pfrommer brought up the concern that that hybrid field would be over budget. She questioned what the process would be to get the extra money to 2 fund the hybrid field, and Lisah Rhodes echoed her question. Ms. Battite answered that the project would be delayed. She added that oftentimes bids come in over budget-if a project comes in over the Town would need to look at reducing costs in other areas, similar to a recent project at Diamond Field. Lisah O'Brien questioned the heat retention of the synthetic fibers woven into the hybrid field. Ms. Buczynski affirmed that the fibers will attract heat but will be about 10—20 degrees cooler than a synthetic turf field. Mr. DeAngelis asked Mr. Filadoro to describe a typical maintenance plan for the hybrid field. He explained that it is a matter of"spoon feeding"the turf nutrients. The cost expenditure is not different: aerification, slice heating, and over seeding as recommended. Depending on usage and play,you increase seeding as needed. Fraze mowing is needed to keep the thatch layer down, which would be a contracted service. Ms. Pfrommer asked about the plowabilitly of the turf. Ms. Buczynski explained that synthetic turf can be plowed, however, the organic material under the carpet has the potential to be moved. She added that you could potentially plow a hybrid field but you would not want to plow a natural grass field. Mr. Pinsonneault recalled a storm the night before the Thanksgiving game and the field was plowed to allow play. If there is an event that is a priority, there are ways to make it playable. Mr. Filadoro added that they plowed the end lines and end zones but it was too soft to do much else. Mr. DeAngelis asked if Lincoln field is plowed, which it is not. He added that sports organizations plan for the weather but the decision to open or close the fields rests with the Recreation and Public Works Departments. Ms. Battite stated that we would want to be sensitive to the field warranty and be aware of safety concerns. It is important to work with the community to see what the priority is. Ms. Buczynski added that there would be a different plowing consideration for the field with the track around the border; it would need to be a lighter machine. The plow blade is raised and there should be about an inch of snow left to melt. Because the snow pile could stay until April, it is necessary to make sure the plowing does not impact the track season. 2. Citizens, Public Comment and Other Boards Steve McKenna, Town Meeting Member and Assistant Track Coach, stated that the Track and Field Program is in favor of a hybrid field. With regards to the project being over budget, Mr. McKenna referenced Article 27. He read the article and suggested that the Recreation Committee request to appropriate additional funds for authorized capital improvements. He added that his understanding from talking to other boards and committees, is that there is a willingness to entertain additional money. He addressed Select Board member, Doug Lucente, specifically with this question of coming back to Town Meeting this year to make the request. Mr. Lucente replied that he would need to look into the mechanics of Article 27. Tanya Gisolfi, Human Rights Committee,parent and track coach, asked if the rest of the project could be completed first with the available funds and then come back for the lighting. Ms. Buczynski replied that the lights usually go in ahead of time and Mr. Pinsonneault added that all the base work would have to go in first. Tom Shiple, Town Meeting Member, advocated for the 30 foot lighting candles. He told the group that Lincoln 2 has them and it has resulted in a substantial capital savings. The 50 foot candles are a want and not a need; the 30 foot candles are also more energy efficient. He proposed that there be an option for user groups to use a lower illumination and experience a cost savings as a result. Currently there is not a direct correlation between the cost/usage of the electricity and the fee experienced by the user group. He added that he does not want his comments to be taken as anything negative towards the lacrosse program. 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3 Ms. Battite stated that the lacrosse program does not currently use the center field and that Athletic Director, Naomi Martin, was not envisioning using this field for lacrosse. Ms. Martin spoke on her position of the field, adding that she does not have the luxury of thinking about it with just one program in mind. The lights at Lincoln 2 have allowed LHS to host games that we have not been able to in the past. Providing really great lighting for lacrosse and field hockey has been tough and the teams have had to make changes to the game. A hybrid field would not be ideal for those two sports. She added that availability of funds and project delays are concerning. The project needs to have a shovel in the ground as soon as possible. With regards to higher temperatures of a synthetic turf field, Ms. Martin described a temperature reading gun that will determine if a game can be played based on temperature regulations. Football is the only sport that has its own field. Eventually the hours of use should come into play when scheduling that field. Lisah Rhodes questioned how long it takes for a hybrid field to bounce back when the plants turn brown. Ms. Buczynski stated that the hybrid turf surface will remain stable, unlike the natural grass where the field will be impacted. The plants may turn brown and not look nice but the field will be stable. Mr. Filadoro added that spring is difficult because crews don't have the time to grow the grass. They monitor the fields all the time so they can seed it as soon as it is needed. Depending on the time of year, the seed is high in rye grass, or it may be high in bluegrass. The grounds crews try not to let it get to the point of brown grass, however, if players step on the turf and water comes out, they should not play on it. DPW seeds turf fields 2 - 3 times a year. Stacy Hamilton, LUCS President, stresses that playability is key, there is a need for more field hours and a hybrid turf would be like going backwards. Plowability is nice for the fringe seasons, but not for the middle of January. Ms. Hamilton asked what other schools in Massachusetts have hybrid fields?Ms. Buczynski said that there are none currently and added that other areas do not have the staff to maintain the turf. Mr. Pinsonnault added that there are areas in Colorado and California that have hybrid fields. Ms. Hamilton reaffirmed LUSC's position that they are in support of a synthetic turf field. Joseph Tibbles, a three-sport varsity athlete, spoke in favor of a natural grass turf. He stated that he always liked the grass field when competing at other towns. When looking at hours, he added, the track team also uses the field and would need something to throw elements on. He also mentioned the heat consideration as the team practices late into June. Michael Gupta, LHS athlete and hammer thrower, stated that he can't throw on synthetic turf. He added that his sport would be taken away from him if the Town replaces the field with synthetic turf. Mr. Gupta shared that his sport has given other athletes an opportunity to go to college and believes that synthetic turf field would take that opportunity away from him. Track coach James Hall told the Committee that Mr. Gupta will make the state record next year and urged them not to take this opportunity away from him. Ms. Battite reminded the group that the process has been very transparent throughout and they have supported the events that the MIAA currently endorses. Mr. DeAngelis addressed the track coach, Mr. McKenna, to take the group through the process of training for the hammer. Mr. McKenna confirmed that the MIAA does not support the event, however many top tier colleges are going oversees to recruit athletes. Mr. Gupta practices and competes where he can, about 5 total meets this upcoming season. Mr. Filadoro was asked to explain the warranty program for a turf field vs. a hybrid field. Ms. Buczynski noted that there is a 1 year construction warranty for hybrid fields and 8 years for synthetic turf. Mr. Filadoro stated that the lifetime of a hybrid field is about 15 —20 years, at 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 which point the maintenance would be the equivalent of replacing the carpet on a synthetic turf. Lucas DiCerbo, representing the Track and Cross Country program, asked if the hybrid field goes through, are there other ways to cut costs without delaying the project? Ms. Battite explained that Recreation Committee would have to go back to Procurement and send the project back out to bid because any changes to the bid document would likely result in the in a protest from other bidders. Tim Clackson,representative from Lexington United Soccer Club, wanted to clarify the importance of playability. There are currently 1500 kids in the soccer program. He asked what the Town's policy will be if they decide to go with a hybrid field, or one that provides 800 hours of play versus 1875. Ms. Battite answered that it would drastically impact every user across the board and it is a conversation that will need to take place. Ms. Martin reminded the group about the proposed change in school start times. The youth teams may be getting on the fields 1 - 1.5 hours later then currently. The Town could be looking at accommodating higher use during play times, and they could be looking at the Center track facility to absorb some of additional hours of use. A resident, whose name was not captured, expressed that paving and"plasticing" the earth with synthetic turf is harmful. He stressed that grass is good, and it is nicer to sit on as a multiuse facility. He noted that a grass turf would be accessible,usable and natural; the reduced heat would also be preferable for runners. He requested that the Recreation Committee put up signs to keep wheels off the new track surface. Track athletes, Riley Walsh and Somier O'Neal, also spoke on behalf of a hybrid field. Public comments came to a close at 8:32pm. Mr. DeAngelis questioned the legality of deferring the construction of lights, to which Ms. Battite replied that they would need to check with procurement. Ms. Buczynski stated that the pole height could save $150,000. She also noted that taking out the contingency would reduce costs by about $303,000. Ms. Pfrommer expressed that she was torn between the two options; the hybrid offers a lot of benefits but the proponents of synthetic turf gave a compelling argument. She added that to remove the contingency would be a big gamble. Ms. Pfrommer stressed that it is not prudent to delay the project because it could result in having no track for anyone to use. Mr. Filadoro questioned if there would be a benefit to rebid as a hybrid field. Ms. Buczynski felt that the Town would not see similar numbers if they rebid. She added that the current climate for contractors was in favor of the project. Ms. Rhodes stated that she heard a larger voice for the synthetic turf and Ms. O'Brien added that the total playable hours of synthetic turf can't be ignored. Ms. Pfrommer asked for clarification if the organic material would lower the temperature by about 15 degrees. Ms. Buczynski reminded the Committee that April 11 th is the deadline for contractors to hold their bid. Mr. DeAngelis shared that he thought the hybrid turf, from an athlete's perspective, might be preferable for playability. On the other hand, he stated that he would prefer to stay within the budget. He asked the question of what it would do to the construction schedule if they were to postpone and re-schedule a vote for next week. Ms. Pfrommer agreed that if a few more days would allow for more wiggle room to get creative, then she would support postponing the vote. Ms. Battite reminded the group that if there were a change to the base bid, the project would need to go back out to 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 5 bid. She added that the only other thing that could be looked at are the amenities, or beautification items like bleachers, trees, etc. Mr. DeAngelis asked if they decided to go with a hybrid field, how could they do so and stay within the 3.3 million dollar budget. Ms. Rhodes questioned if the wiggle room would even prove to provide the money needed. Ms. Battite recommended malting a vote contingent on more information gained from Procurement. Ms. Buczynski suggested that it may be helpful to remove the candle height upgrade to narrow the process down to one bidder. Mr.Pinsonnault explained that the organic infill, although it would lower the temperature, is a different material and the athletes will notice the difference. He stressed that it requires a different maintenance program that will result in added costs over the years. The Recreation Committee adjourned for a short recess at 9:lOpm and reconvened at 9:23pm. Mr. DeAngelis read the following motion: That the Recreation Committee approve a lighting level of 30 foot candles for the Center Track and Field. Lisah Rhodes moved and Lisah O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve with 1 absence. Mr. DeAngelis read the following motion: That the Recreation Committee recommend approval of Contractor/Bidder#13 of the bid shown and described as "Base &A 0 + I + 2" at$3,459,100.00provided that and on the condition that the contractor reduces its bid to no more than $$$ However, should the contractor not be able to reduce its bid for the "Base &A 0 + I +2"to no more than the amount within the project budget, then the Recreation Committee votes to approve that the Contractor and the bid entitled "Base &A 0 + I + 2" in the amount of$3,115,850.00. Lisah Rhodes moved and Francesca Pfrommer seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve with 1 absence. 3. Liaison Reports—none 4. Athletic Field Storage Request Chris Filadoro gave a review of the current storage situation in Town. The Center Playground tennis area has a facility that DPW works out of, there are 4 storage containers, a backstop and bases for little league groups and a box that was built for cricket. LUSC has a container at Diamond, and there are several storage containers at the high school. Colby Crogan, representing Lexington Youth Lacrosse, expressed that they would like small storage containers, similar to what LUSC has,to store their equipment. The request is for 4 field boxes - 3 at Lincoln and 1 at Diamond. The organization is looking for the Town to recommend a location. Mr. Filadoro felt that they could fit one 20-foot container at Center, possibly 2. He suggested working with a lease company to help maintain and move the container. Mr. DeAngelis expressed his sympathy for storage needs and Ms. Battite added that she is impressed by the support that the Town gives to private groups to store their equipment. She reminded the group that the Town has invested in building beautiful parks and then we have added big, unmatched, rusting containers to them. She urged the groups to consider more attractive sheds that could be shared between organizations. It would be wise to look at a combined storage/restroom facility. Representatives from Little League said they would be interested in sharing space. Their equipment is currently stored in Waltham. A storage container lease is approximately$150 per month and they would be willing to pay for it. 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421 6 Mr. DeAngelis made the following motion: The Recreation Committee will work with the various youth groups who use fields and who are in need of storage space, authorizing the Director of Recreation and Community Programs and the Parks Supervisor to work directly with the user groups to find a solution, if possible. Lisah Rhodes moved and Lisa O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve with 1 absence. Lexington Youth Lacrosse expressed a desire for netting at Lincoln#3 during construction of the Granite Forest. Currently there is a backstop net but nothing to keep balls from rolling into the construction site. They requested a multi-sport netting to protect workers and players from the sports balls. Ms. Pfrommer reminded the group of similar safety measures taken 3 years ago with LUSC. The organization purchased the system and the Town installed it. It was asked if the Lincoln Subcommittee has money to purchase the net. The user groups agreed to follow up with Mr. Filadoro about installing netting. 5. Meeting Minutes from February 13, 2019 Ms. Pfrommer made a motion to approve the minutes from last meeting and Lisah Rhodes seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 4-0 to approve the minutes of February 13, 2019 with 1 absence. 6. 5-Year Capital Project Updates Additional updates were provided in the Recreation and Community Programs Update packet. 7. Recreation, Community Programs, and Parks Reports The March 2019 Recreation and Community Programs Update packet is included as an attachment to the minutes. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday,April 3, 2019 at 6:00pm in the Hudson Room of the Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue. The March 28`h, 2019 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 10:10pm. Respectfully submitted, Christine Dean Community Center Director 39 MARRETT ROAD,LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02421