Manchester Essex Playing Fields Committee
January 10, 2008
Essex Senior Center
7:30 p.m.
Members Present: Matt Casparius, Tom Kehoe, Hardy Nalley, Sue Taylor, Richard Trembowicz, Tom Arntsen, Sandy Bodmer-Turner, Greg Blagden,
Meeting Opened at 7:45 p.m.
I. Review of Minutes of October 24, 2007:
Sandy Bodmer-Turner made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. 2nd by Greg Blagden.
II. Brook Street Field Status:
Richard Trembowicz reported that there was approximately $160,000 reduction in the cost of the Brook Street Field cost after penalties to David White. He will know more when the School Committee meets next week. Temporary signs are up at Brook Street and are located on the trees. The permanent signs will be placed in the Spring.
The punch list items for work that still has to be done in the Spring is as follows:
i. Cleaning up around the field
ii. Painting lines on the field
iii. Fixing the Parking lot
iv. Install permanent signs
The Field is ready to go for Spring. David White has a period of time to dispute any penalties, but the School Building Committee is hoping to offset some of the bills that the Sports teams generated in the Fall because of having to travel. There is a way that the School Building Committee has to legally work the budget to apply the penalties against the athletic sports bills for bus fees, field rentals, etc.
Richard also reported that the light poles from Hyland Field were not usable for the Brook Street field. When they went to take down the lights at Hyland Field, they found they could not use the standards anymore and so they had to cut the poles down. There is a question about the old Hyland lights and who owns them now. Richard thinks that they were part of the contract with David White and he now owns them. If they don’t have any use for them they may give them back to us. Richard will find out their exact status and report back to us at the next meeting.
Hardy Nalley reported that moving forward to Spring sports, he is not planning on using temporary lights during the Spring. In the fall, temporary lights will only be used in October & November. Greg Blagden said that Manchester Soccer Club may be interested in using lights in the Spring and paying for the cost themselves.
The Manchester Soccer Club will coordinate with the School Building Committee for Line Painting the field for soccer in the Spring.
DEP Status – The application to DEP was withdrawn since we are no longer putting permanent lights up at Brook Street. Temporary lights will not require permit from the Conservation Commission since the amount of fuel that would be stored at the field is less than the minimum standard for State requirements, so Conservation and DEP have no jurisdiction.
In the future, we could in theory go back and request putting the lights in permanently. There are two challenges to this. First is getting the permit from the Planning Board and if you do get the permit, the second problem would be installing the conduit and excavation at the Field because there is a risk that you would void the warranty on the field.
III. Future Fields Process/CPA
Matt Casparius reported on his request to the Community Preservation Committee for $10,000 to conduct a Recreation Fields Master Plan study. It was an idea that he had at the beginning of December so that we could begin Phase 2 of the Committees charge with long term planning. At the end of the summer, this Committee had come up with its lists of field needs to meet present usage. That list included 2 multipurpose/soccer fields, 1 full sized baseball diamond and a softball diamond. Matt explained that his hope with getting this money from the Community Preservation Committee would allow us to start looking at our existing field and also start looking around at places where fields could possibly be developed. Matt has spoken to a consultant who does Recreation Field Master Plans, and his scope of work
for the sites that he would look at would include:
· Access/Egress summary
· Summary of the type of field(s) that could fit on each parcel
· Optimal solar orientation of each parcel
· Summary of any conservation or wetlands issues
· Summary of any setback requirements
· Parking capacity estimate
· Overall estimate to develop the property, including tree & ledge removal if necessary
· Summary of any utility mitigation
· Neighborhood impact summary
· Soil testing & evaluation
Matt reported that the Community Preservation Committee has asked him to back to a future meeting with additional details on the project. When that meeting is scheduled, Matt asked that as many members of the fields committee be present to help sell the project.
In the meantime, this Committee needs to start thinking about this project and work on a specific scope of work for the Consultant so that we’re prepared if we get the money.
Matt explained that the Community Preservation Act requires communities to spend at least 10% in each of the categories – Recreation/Open Space, Historic Preservation and Housing. This project does fit into the Recreation & Open Space Category and the total amount of money being requested from the Community Preservation Committee is less than what the Town spent last year, so have a good shot at getting approved. One of the agenda items for our next meeting will be to discuss the scope of work for any consultant.
IV. Review of Field Permit Policy:
Matt Casparius explained that the Town of Manchester has a field permit policy on the books that has not been updated since 2000. Matt has been working to update the policy and handed out the first draft to the committee for review. Once the Committee reviews the policy and any changes are made the Committee will review a second draft before it is sent to the Board of Selectmen for Adoption.
V. Field Needs – Spring 08:
Tom Kehoe asked the Committee to start thinking about our current and future field needs and we will begin to discuss them at our next meeting. Sandy Bodmer-Turner is going to email everyone a copy of the overview of field needs that the Committee created last winter.
VI. Next Meeting - The following topics will be on the agenda for our next meeting
Future Fields Funding- CPA Request
Field Permit Requests for Spring 2008
Future Field Needs
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 12th in Manchester at 7:30 p.m. in Room #7.
Meeting Adjourned 9:45 p.m.
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