HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 Hennessy Field Ad Hoc Committee Report to the 1999 Town MeetingF
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March 22, 1999
On June 8, 19987 the Lexington Board of Selectmen appointed an 8- member Hennessy Field Ad
Hoc Committee to address the issues raised at the 1995 Town Meeting regarding Hennessy's
Field and the demand for soccer fields:
® One member Planning Board (Steve Colman, who served as Chairman)
® One member Board of Selectmen (Jeanne Krieger)
® One member Conservation Commission (Bebe Fallick)
• One member Recreation Committee (Don Chisholm)
• Two Town Meeting members (David Williams and Richard Neumeier)
• One citizen from the sporting /athletic community (Bernard Reddy)
• One representative from the proponents of Article 45 (Deborah Brown)
The ad hoc committee's charge was to "review the proposal made by the proponents of Article 46
of the Annual Town Meeting, evaluate the needs for sporting/athletic fields, the potential options
for creating new athletic fields; and recommend a use designation for Hennessy Field...and]
make its report to the Selectmen in the fall of 1998."
The committee first met on July 15, 1998 and continued to meet on a regular basis over the next
five months. Among other tasks, the committee made an exhaustive review of the number and
condition of existing soccer fields, examined trends in soccer enrollment in Lexington, and
consulted at length with Recreation Department and DPW -Park Division staff.
The committee made its unanimous recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on
December 21, 1995:
® 'Transfer Hennessy's Field to the Conservation Commission.
® Build a new soccer field and install a three -field irrigation system for this field and
two others at Harrington School.
® Improve maintenance practices and field use - policies to improve the condition of all
fields.
The full report (attached) is organized as follows:
L Hennessy's Field
IIe Field Spurts in Lexington-. Existing Fields, User Groups, Maintenance Issues
III. Potential Sites for New Soccer Fields
Iv. Appendices. (1) map of Hennessy's Field, (2) list of existing soccer /multi -use
fields, (3) snap of proposed Harrington soccer field. site
The ad hoc committee was charged with making a recommendation regarding the disposition of
Hennessy's Field. This section of the report describes the field, its history, and the factors
considered in developing the committee's recommendation that Hennessy's Field be transferred to
the Conservation Commission. (Article 16 of the 1999 Town Meeting deals with this transfer.)
,PhJsical descries
Hennessy's Field is a 10 -acre town -owned property located at the end of Robinson Road, behind the
Estabrook school and adjacent to the Paint Mine Conservation area. [See Appendix 1.] The property
includes approximately 4.5 acres of open field (populated by European and native grasses and
wildflowers, along with a few red cedars, glossy buckthorn, crabapple, and elm trees), I acre of mature
white pines, 2.5 acres of early successional scrub, I acre of remnant field .(now filled with gray birch,
black cherry and aspen trees, as well as blueberries, dewberries, blackberries, - and chokeberries), and an
edge of mature trees (oaks, pignut, white ash, white pines) totaling approximately I acre.
Ecological significance
A variety of wildlife depend upon Hennessy" s Field as a travel route, a breeding ground, and a source for
food. Animal species that depend upon this type of grassy meadow habitat with scrubby edge include
mammals, birds, and reptiles: large and small mammals, including meadow voles and white footed mice,
red fox, eastern coyote, eastern cottontail, chipmunks, skunks, woodchucks, and white - tailed deer; over
two dozen species of birds, including great horned owl, screech owl, barred owl, sharp- shinned hawk,
indigo bunting, goldfinch, junco, cedar wax -wing, downy woodpecker, tree swallow, and barn swallow;
and various snakes, including eastern garter snake, northern brown snake, eastern milk snake, and eastern
smooth green snake. The plants and grasses found in Hennessy "'s field provide food for a variety of
butterflies and their larvae, including mourning cloak, cornpton tortoise shell, and tiger swallowtail
butterflies.
The field's ecological value is enhanced by its connection to the larger Paint Mine conservation land.
Animal species travel back and forth between the different habitats the field and scrub of Hennessy,
and the woods and wetlands of Paint Mine. The Paint dine property benefits from this linkage as well.
For instance, animals and birds of prey living in the woods of Paint. Mine hunt for food in the field at
Hennessy .4 The field also serves as an upland buffer to the Paint Mine property, portions of which are
estimated habitats for rare wildlife— designated "areas of special concern" by the Massachusetts
Fisheries and Wildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Clark, Frances H. (Carex Associates), Ecological. Evaluation of Hennessey Field, November,. 1997,
pp. 2 -3. (Report prepared for the Lexington Conservation Corrm* ssion.)
2 Kuriger, William E. (W.E. Kuriger Associates), report to Brian Gilbert dated March 10, 1995, p. 3.
(Report prepared for the Lexington Recreation Committee.).
'Clark, pp. 4 -5; also Kuriger, p. 4.
4 Clark, p. 4.
is
Historical significance
The property has a rich history. It is the last remnant of the "Long Pasture" purchased by William
Simonds in 1655. William Simonds' great - great - granddaughter Hannah married Jacob Robinson (who
served as a. Lexington Selectman); they settled on the Simonds farm and later built their own farm at the
end of Robinson Road. Jacob Robinson's grandson George grew up on the Robinson farm and later
became Governor of Massachusetts in 1 853. In the late 1800s, the. Robinson farm and part of the
Simonds land were sold to speculators who discovered a natural ochre (on what is now the adjacent Paint
Mine property) which showed great promise as a paint pigment. Various attempts to profit from the
mineral were unsuccessful, and the land reverted to the Simonds family.
Town's ac uisition and current use
In 1940, the Simonds family sold 10 acres to Mary Hennessy, and the property became known thereafter
as Hennessy's Field. The town.of Lexington acquired the 10 -acre field from Mary Hennessy for
playground, recreational, and other general municipal purposes by an order of taping dated June 25,
1962. (This pre -dates the establishment of the Conservation Commission.) The land has remained open
and undeveloped and has not been placed under any committee's jurisdiction.. It is used for passive
recreation walking, picnicking,. snow - shoeing, cross country skiing, bird -- watching, and wildflower
exploration.. The field is used by Estabrook students as a site for "Schoolyard .,adventures," a formal part
of the science and social studies curriculum developed with grants from the Lexington Education
Foundation and the. National Science ,Foundation and now funded by the Estabrook PTA. Various
citizens' groups, including Citizens for Lexington Conservation and the Friends of Hennessy's Field,
arrange: periodic guided walks highlighting the field's history and its animal and plant species.
The committee's discussions with Town Counsel and with the Conservation Commission indicate that a
transfer to Conservation would not prohibit any of the activities that currently take place in the field, all
of which fall under the category of "passive" recreation. In addition, the Conservation designation would
not prohibit the regular mowing of the field, which is essential to prevent the field from changing over to
woods. The designation also would not - preclude the placement of park benches, if desired at some time
in the future.
Consideration as soccer field site
In the early 1990s, faced with growing demand for soccer fields, the Recreation Committee identified
Hennessy's Field as a potential site for field development. In FY1996, the Recreation Committee
included an item for development of Hennessy's Field in its FY99 capital plan. The Recreation.
Committee considers Hennessy's Field an attractive soccer field site because it is one of only a few
remaining open fields in town, it is already town - owned, it is dry and relatively flat, and it is located near
the Estabrook school, which has a parking lot accommodating approximately 90 cars.
Efforts to gain Conservation jurisdiction
The Conservation Commission's 1996 Land Acquisition Plan, included as part of the 1997 Lexington
Open Space and Recreation Plan, recommended that Hennessy's Field be placed in Conservation, but no
immediate plan was made to bring about the transfer. A year later (September, 1997), in response to the
Recreation Committee's growing interest in Hennessy Field as a soccer site, the Friends of Hennessy's
Field began organizing to gain protection for the field. The group submitted an article for the 1995 Town
5 Sileo, Thomas P., Historical Guide to Open Space in.Lexington, 1995, pp. 7 -10.
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Meeting warrant requesting that the field be placed under the Conservation Commission's jurisdiction.
The vote on article 46 was 9I -r79 .in favor of the transfer, failing short of the required two- thirds
majority. Article 46 proponents (including the Conservation Corhrmission) consider Hennessy's Field
worthy of protection because of its ecological significance as one of only a few remaining open fields in
town, its value as a meadow habitat supporting a variety of plant, animal and bird species, its importance
to the adjacent Paint Mine Conservation woodland and wetlands (as a border ecology and an upland
buffer), its historical significance, and its role in Estabrook's science curriculum.
Ad hoc committee's recommendation
After reviewing: the field's history, the field's current use by the community, the two ecological impact
studies, and the open Space and Recreation Plan, the committee was unanimous in its recommendation
that Hennessy's Field be transferred to Conservation.
Im
11. FIELD SPORTS IN LEXINGTON:
The ad hoc committee was charged with reviewing the demand for soccer fields in Lexington. The
committee unanimously concluded that current soccer program enrollments and the condition of
existing fields warrant the immediate development of a new soccer field. In addition, the committee
investigated maintenance and usage practices that. could improve the condition of, and increase the
availability of, existing fields.
.- Introduction
Soccer in Lexington is played on multi -use fields available for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. There
are organized games and practices by the schools (Middle and High School), youth leagues, and a range
of adult leagues and more informal groups, playing nearly continuously from early April through late
November.
]Ex stin field inventory
In 1998, there were- multi -use fields at seven (7) locations in Lexington. Fields are classified (for soccer
at least) as full sized (55-75 yards by 100 -120 yards) or three - quarter sized for younger teams (40 yards
by 70 yards) Lacrosse and .field hockey fields come only `full sized," which for them is 60 yards by
110 yards. Including a modest buffer zone around the playing field, a full sized field totals about 2.1
acres in area while a three - quarter sized field totals just under I acre.
The theoretical field avail ability /potential at the seven locations is: Lincoln Park (3 full size, 2 three -
quarter), ]diamond Middle School (I full size, I field hockey), Harrington School (2 full size, I three -
quarter), Clarke Middle School (I full size, 2 three -- quarter), Center Playfield area (2 full size, I three --
quarter), Adams School (I three - quarter) and the lVluzzey field (I three - quarter). Additionally, there is the
option of setting up three- quarter size fields for limited use at the Franklin, Fstabrook and Hastings
School sites. .[See Appendix 2 for a summary of this field inventory. Maps of the seven locations (and
the optional sites) that depict the orientation of fields at. each site, in the spring and in the fall, are on file
with the Town Clerk.] This is the theoretical field capacity, but the actual availability is substantially less.
Factors that limit the availability /potential to season -to- season reality include: (1) scheduling and use
conflicts with baseball and track in the spring and football in the fall (many of the theoretical fields
identified above are in baseball outfields), in addition to multi -use conflicts between soccer, lacrosse, and
field hockey, (2) fields sited in low areas or locations with poor drainage, which generally present special
problems in the spring and late fall, and (3) fields being taken out of play for major renovation and repair
(for periods up to 18 months). In 1998, for example, one field at Lincoln Park, the Muzzey field, the
Adams field, and two of the three fields at Harrington were not .available due to renovation projects.
Their unavailability was alleviated somewhat in 1997 -1998 by arrangements made with Minuteman Tech
for the use of two small fields there on Saturdays.
The committee surveyed soccer facilities in neighboring towns, including Framingham, Winchester,
Needham, and Arlington. Some towns are functioning with fewer fields and some have more fields than
Lexington. what emerges as the more significant factor is not quantity of fields but the quality and
condition of fields. Fields built on landfill or in wet areas, like many of Lexington's fields, cannot
support the same use as fields built and maintained under more ideal conditions.'
H- 1
User Groups
The demand for multi -use fields has grown at a considerably faster rate in the past 10 years than has the.
Town's population. Three factors are mainly responsible for this growth: a marked increase in. girls' 4
organized sports (especially soccer); the increasing demands of adult leagues, teams and informal groups
(including Ultimate Frisbee); and the introduction of youth lacrosse for youngsters in grades 5 -8. In
addition, the bubble in the pre - school population of a few years ago is now hitting the early. years of
organized activities such as soccer and other sports. As a result, team sports utilizing multi --use fields all
face capacity constraints; there are not enough fields, particularly in the spring, to satisfy the demands of
youth; school and adult programs.
At current youth soccer participation levels (1,950 youths in 1998), the demand for fields exceeds the
number of available fields. The -need for an additional field is immediate. In addition, youth soccer
participation levels are expected to rise in tandem with K-12 school enrollments, which are projected to
increase by 9.70 over the next four years. Demand for fields will be further aggravated by the expected
growth in youth lacrosse participation.
The following describes the groups using soccer flelds in Lexington.
1. Schools. High School and Middle School soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey teams practice and play
on -the Town's multi -use fields. It is current Town policy that scheduling of the schools' needs for fields
(for practices and - games) takes priority over other needs, followed by youth program needs, then adult
groups. In Massachusetts, interscholastic soccer and field hockey are played in the fall,. while lacrosse is
a spring sport.
In a typical year, the Lexington High School soccer program has six teams (freshman, junior varsity, and
varsity for both boys and girls) with a total of about 110 students participating. Clarke and Diamond
Middle Schools each typically has four teams {junior varsity and varsity for both boys and girls) with
about 150 participants at the two schools. All these teams practice or play games every weekday after
school. The high school Jv and varsity sometimes have Saturday games, Sunday practices or both. Field
K -12 youth soccer participation trend
7 ,000
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The following describes the groups using soccer flelds in Lexington.
1. Schools. High School and Middle School soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey teams practice and play
on -the Town's multi -use fields. It is current Town policy that scheduling of the schools' needs for fields
(for practices and - games) takes priority over other needs, followed by youth program needs, then adult
groups. In Massachusetts, interscholastic soccer and field hockey are played in the fall,. while lacrosse is
a spring sport.
In a typical year, the Lexington High School soccer program has six teams (freshman, junior varsity, and
varsity for both boys and girls) with a total of about 110 students participating. Clarke and Diamond
Middle Schools each typically has four teams {junior varsity and varsity for both boys and girls) with
about 150 participants at the two schools. All these teams practice or play games every weekday after
school. The high school Jv and varsity sometimes have Saturday games, Sunday practices or both. Field
usage is from late August through mid -- November (for Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Tourney play (MIAA)) .
The Lexington High School lacrosse program has the same mix of teams as soccer with about the same
number of students participating (110). Lacrosse is not organized at the Middle School level. All six.
teams practice or play games every weekday after school, at the Lincoln Park site. Some weekend games
and practices are scheduled. Field usage is from early April into early June (for M AA Tourney play).
Field hockey at Lexington High School consists of three girl's teams (freshman, JV and varsity) with
about 60 players. Field hockey is also organized at the Middle School level (JV and varsity) involving
about 80 players at both schools. weekday practices or games generally take place at the Center Playfield
(inside the track) for the Nigh School and at the Middle School sites. The field hockey season mirrors
soccer, including MIAA Tourney play.
2. Youth Programs Youth soccer, organized for youngsters from kindergarten through high school age,
1 iil li
is played in the spring, fall, and (to a lesser extent) summer. The program offered varies depending on the
season, the age group, and the sponsoring organization. Sponsors include the Town's Recreation
Department and two youth soccer organizations. The 1998 fall and spring programs each drew just over
1,600 players. About 330 children play in the fall but not the spring and vice versa; thus about 1,950
children are expected to play youth soccer at some point in the 1998 -99 school year. In contrast, 900 -
1,000 youngsters played organized youth soccer in Lexington ten (10) years ago when the opportunities to
play were fewer. Since then, the fall soccer programs have expanded, a second sponsoring organization
for inter - community league play has been established, and summer clinics have grown. The fall program
runs from early September for ten weeks; the spring program from mid -April for ten weeks; and the
summer program from raid -July for four weeks. Ganes are scheduled on Saturdays (Sunday for high
school aged teams), and teams usually schedule 1 -2 practices a week (except K -2, which doesn't have
practices). For games involving in -town teams playing each other (grade 4 and below), scheduling is
handled by the sponsoring organization. For programs involving traveling teams that play teams from
other cities and towns (grade 3 and above), the schedule is under the control of the League in. which the
sponsoring organization enters teams.
Youth lacrosse started in Lexington in the spring of 1995 as an inter -town sport associated with the
Massachusetts Bay Youth Lacrosse League. It is available to girls and boys in grades 5 -8. In 1998, the
Lexington program fielded four teams (3 boys, 1 girls) with a total of 100 players. The program runs
from early April to miid -June and makes use of the fields at Lincoln Park, which are also used by the High
School lacrosse teams. Games are played on Sunday with practices scheduled on Wednesdays and
Fridays (after school usage), at Lincoln Park and elsewhere.
3. Adult t rop ps . Aside from an Ultimate Frisbee group that uses the Worthen load lighted field
complex in the fall, the only organized adult sport using the multi -use fields is soccer. Several adult
groups reserve fields to play soccer in Lexington on a regular basis, some having been organized for pick-
up games for over 20 years. The popularity of these games has increased enormously over the last
decade, with as many as 40 players on a typical Sunday morning at the Diamond Middle School field.
Growth in this area is evidenced by Wednesday night games at Clarke Middle School in the summer
months and by Sunday morning games at either Harrington or Lincoln. The number of players has been
augmented by alumni of Nigh School and youth teams, by youth team coaches seeking more "on -the-
field" experience to pass on to their players, and by adult players from neighboring towns. Besides these
organized "pick -up" games, in 1998 five different adult groups were issued field -use permits for
organized league play in the Greater Boston area. These games are normally played on Sunday mornings
or on summer weeknights, thereby avoiding (usually) scheduling conflicts with school and youth soccer
programs. They do, however, contribute to wear and tear on the fields and complicate. field maintenance.
11- 3
Maintenance Issues
A number of factors influence field maintenance practices in Lexington, including availability of and
funding for staff and equipment, site -- specific problems, and weather constraints. Due to the variability of
some of these factors from year to year, the maintenance program tends to respond to immediate needs.
Linder the best of circumstances, however, Lexington's soccer and lacrosse fields are difficult to maintain
due to:
High demand: with the demand exceeding the field capacity, fields cannot be routinely rotated out
of play for maintenance during the year as is the practice in other towns. At the times of the year best
suited for conducting_ routine maintenance and field rejuvenation .activities, maintenance of the fields
is limited because they are all in use. The nearly continuous usage from early spring through late fall,
which. markedly limits effective "in- season" maintenance to mowing and lining the fields, drives the
need to take fields out of service for major renovation and restoration every few years.. This is a
practice that has, by necessity, been in place for the last 10 years or so. It typically starts in the fall
(ideally after the soccer season) with the overturning and leveling of the field, followed by full re-
seeding and the application of sound turf management practices until the field's grass cover has been
sufficiently restored for games and practices. while the elapsed time varies due to weather
conditions, the restoration process usually lasts for 18 months.
Marginal soil conditions.' Most of the fields suffer from poor drainage, lack of water or both, and
get torn up quickly in the season. This is especially evident with soccer and lacrosse, which have
intense, concentrated action near the goal areas. This, in turn, is aggravated by inappropriate usage
by teams eager to practice or. play games, regardless of the condition (wetness) of the field..
Difficulty of irrigation: Most fields do not have automatic irrigation systems, so watering is very
labor - intensive and subject to labor and equipment availability and scheduling. DPW crews
responsible for turf management must lay temporary hoses from the nearest fire hydrant, etc. and
connect these to water cannons that are awkward to maneuver and operate. The cannons deposit
copious amounts of water on the fields. with collaboration and funding from Lexington Youth
Soccer, automatic irrigation systems have been installed at the Adams and Muzzey School sites.
Responsibility for managing and maintaining these systems belongs to the DPW -Park Division.
Ad hoc committee's recommendations
The committee recommends:
® Immediately building an additional field to address current soccer enrollments and allow field rotation
for maintenance.
® Installing automatic irrigation systems and drainage at new and existing fields. This will allow
optimum scheduling of watering and will free up labor and resources that can be redeployed for other
maintenance activities.
® Raising fees for all users to support field maintenance programs.
Adopting field usage /field "etiquette" policies. The committee encourages the cancellation of
practices and games when, due to field conditions or weather, playing will damage the fields. The
youth soccer organizations in town have a use policy that respects field conditions. we encourage the
school teams and adult leagues to adopt a similar policy.
Hm
After agreeing upon the immediate need for an additional soccer field, the ad hoc committee
considered a number of potential fields to address . this need, as well as sites that might be used to
accommodate future increases in athletic enrollment. The Harrington School site is the
committee's recommendation for immediate development, as called for in Article 30 of the 1999
Town Meeting warrant.
1. Harrington This is an ideal location for an additional field. It has relatively good natural field
conditions. Parking is available. The introduction of additional irrigation will improve the condition of
the two existing soccer fields. The labor and resources currently used to water the school's fields with
cannons can be redeployed for other maintenance tasks. The anticipated cost to develop a new field at
Harrington and proper irrigation for cell. 3 soccer fields (not just the new field) is $165,000. To meet the
immediate need for a new field, the committee recommends this appropriation, which is included as
Article 30 in the 1999 Town Meeting warrant. [See Appendix 3 for site map.]
2. Clarke Middle School The soccer field is unusable for most of the spring and much of the fall
because it is too wet. The physical and management problems at this field need to be corrected. There
are many advantages to rebuilding a soccer field at the Clarke Middle School. It is immediately adjacent
to one of the two middle schools in the town and thus would be a considerable benefit to the school
system. The anticipated cost to rebuild a field that would be useable in the spring and fall is $15O,000,
including the cost of irrigation.
This cost may be made part of the school capital project presently underway for the High School and two
Middle Schools. Because the state would pay 59% of the cost, the Committee strongly recommends that
reconstructing the Clarke Middle School soccer field be added to the school capital project.
Unfortunately, the school capital project could not result in a soccer field until at least 2002 and maybe
later. This site cannot meet the immediate need for one additional new field, but it is an excellent choice
to address future soccer enrollment increases. (Article 31 of the 1999 Town Meeting warrant addresses
this site.)
3. Hennessy's Field For more than 30 years, Hennessy has been available for passive recreational uses.
'while some have suggested that a field at Hennessy would require additional parking, the committee
concludes that the existing parking (85-90 spots) at Estabrook is quite adequate. As a practical matter, a
soccer field at Hennessy would be used on Saturdays (for the most part), and existing parking at
Estabrook could accommodate such use. The anticipated cost of developing a field at Hennessy,
including irrigation, is $100,000. However, the committee recommends that Hennessy be placed in
Conservation and therefore the field would not be available for development as a soccer field.
4. Field loo. 3 at the high school Worthen R oad . This field is unusable in the spring and most of the
fall. Drainage is very poor. In addition, the playing surface is uneven with several sink holes. while it
would be desirable to create a soccer field that would be useable throughout the year, this field would not
be a full sized field and would be insufficient to meet the needs of the town.
5. Willard woods Willard woods is a possible location. The terrain is adequate, but parking and
delivery of - water for irrigation would drive up development costs.
6. Hartwell Landfill This 67.5 acre former landfill is currently being used for hazardous waste
collection, for composting, and as the police department's firing range. Closed landfills provide potential
for�developrnent as recreation areas, as seen at Lincoln Park and in Arlington at the Reeds Brook/Lowell
Street landfill. adjacent to Lexington. If properly developed; Hartwell Avenue represents an opportunity
for a multi -use, large scale recreation facility and should be explored in depth, perhaps with the
assistance of a site design professional. Compliance with DEP regulations and competition with other
current and future uses are subj ects for consideration. This would be a large - scale, long --term project a n d
will not satisfy the immediate need for an additional field.
7. other sites A number of pockets of land in Lexington and "regional" sites were also considered. In
general, the sites in Town were too small and had inadequate parking and/or access. while land in
adjacent communities or on the perimeter of Lexington might be available in the future, the cost to
develop the fields would be the same as within Lexington, $100,000 -150,000 per field, and none can
meet the immediate need.
(a) Blossom St. The lot is small and under consideration for a tot lot, and parking would be limited.
(h) Young St. The site is small, and access is limited.
(c) Met State The priority for the developable land (Parcel 3) is for housing, primarily for the elderly.
The possibility of including a soccer field will be suggested as one of the "community enhancements"
the potential developer might consider.
(d) Lexington Christian Academy—Hi storic ally, the Academy has not been receptive to having its
fields used for soccer by other groups.
(e) Minuteman Nigh School This serves as a good example of regional cooperation. For a modest
fee, the installation of a water bib, reseeding, and periodic maintenance, Lexington has been allowed to
use two (small) fields for Saturday morning youth games.
(f) Hanscom Field Preliminary inquiries suggest Hanscom fields are in as much demand and�as
heavily used as ours.
(g) Middlesex Hospital Land Much of the terrain is steep and access is limited. Currently this parcel
is under the auspices of the Division of Capital Asset Management. Discussions are just beginning to
prepare a strategy for acquiring this tract of land. Based upon the Met State experience, this will likely
be a long process.
(h) winning Farm Winchester soccer enthusiasts have identified cooperative development of land in
Winchester as a possibility, but Winchester civic authorities have been non - committal to date. were
Winchester amenable, we would share the costs of development as well as access to the proposed
field(s).
(i) Arlington/Reeds Brook This is Arlington property that is still in the development phase.
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Appendix
Source: recreation Dept. & DPW Staff
Multi -Uses Fields
Full Size Fields Three Quarter (3/4)
(55 - 75 x 100 -120 Yds) (45 --50 x 70 Yds)
Spring Fall Spring Fall
Lincoln Street Park
Multi use (soccer and Lacrosse) 3 3
* Lined out for the first year in. 1997
* * (I or 2) Field Hockey fields over lay Soccer in Fail
Diamond School
Soccer i 1
Field Hockey 1
* Spring conflict with Baseball limits field to ( 1 ) full size
* * Numerous. fields (9) laid out for U -8 programs: fall option
Harrington School
Soccer 2* 2 1
* (1) Full size field conflicts w/ Baseball in the spring during the week (M -F)
* * Numerous fields (9) laid out for U -8 programs
Clarke School
Soccer
Field Hockey 1
r '
* Spring - fields seasonably wet
* * 1997 first year lining out second 3 /4 field in fall (not shown on diagram) overload option
Center Fields
Soccer l 1 1 * 1
Field Hockey i
* Seasonably wet (difficult to predict) f
Adams
Soccer 1 1
M u zzev
Soccer 1 l
Options due to {overload and/or renovations
Franklin
Soccer 1
* Conflict in Spring w /Baseball
Estabrook
Soccer I* 1
* Conflict in Spring w/ softball
M. Hastings 1
0 Conflict in Spring w /Baseball; laid out for the first time Fall 1998 . due to conflict
Minuteman
Soccer 2*
* Availability on Saturdays only; varying number of weekends conflict w /other events
Appendix 3
i
STREET