Transcript Slide 1

Sprague Fields Task Force
Public Hearing
January 8, 2008
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
1
Who we are
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Department of Health
Board of Public Works
Recreation Commission
Director of Athletics
Natural Resources Commission
School Committee
Board of Selectmen
Sprague Fields Abutters
Sprague School Administration
Sprague School Parents
Wellesley Cancer Prevention Project
Youth Baseball & Softball
Youth Lacrosse
Youth Soccer
Lenny Izzo
Bill Charlton
Carl Fleischer
John Brown
Rick Bashian
Chris Guiffre & Suzy Littlefield
Greg Mills
Tom Brown & Mike Urban
Donna Dankner
Todd Himstead & Jane Neilson
Richard Morse
Curt Smith
Barbara McMahon
Tom Harrington
Advisory Committee Liaison
CPC Liaison
Marijane Tuohy
Jack Morgan
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
2
What we are trying to accomplish
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Mission:
The SFTF will recommend to School Committee
one or more plans for the Town to approve at the
2008 Annual Town Meeting to solve the
remediation of the Sprague Fields, with a
consensus from constituency groups, which
optimize the use of the athletic fields at the
Sprague Fields Complex.
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
3
Approach
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Don’t limit our work to a debate of synthetic turf v.
natural grass on the two fields in need of remediation
Do seek consensus on a compromise approach to
remediation by developing a master plan for the entire
Sprague Fields complex
 Remediation
area would be included in the implementation
of any master plan
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Move as quickly as possible to meet deadlines
associated with Annual Town Meeting and DEP
remediation order (note that condition of fields is contributing to Town’s
field capacity problem because referees won’t work on them)
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
4
Progress to date (1 of 2)
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School Committee takes lead in search for a Sprague solution (May)
School Committee holds Listening Session at Sprague School and forms
the SFTF as an advisory committee to School Committee (June)
Guiffre & Littlefield recruit members to SFTF (June-Aug)
SFTF develops RFP with help from Town Engineer and distributes RFP
(July-Aug)
SFTF seeks funding for consultants (Aug-Oct)
SFTF holds Listening Session (Sept)
SFTF receives responses to RFP and interviews three vendors (Sept)
SFTF updates Advisory (Oct)
SFTF selects Gale for field layout and remediation design work but not
evaluation of synthetic turf (Oct)
SFTF obtains consultant funding assistance from Selectmen, Recreation,
DPW & Field Use Fund (Oct)
SFTF unanimously agrees on Conceptual Field Layout (Nov)
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
5
Progress to date (2 of 2)
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SFTF establishes home page on town website (Nov)
SFTF submits placeholder application with CPC (Nov)
SFTF evaluates synthetic v. natural grass issues, including
health/environmental issues, sports injury issues, experience at other towns,
alternative in-fills (Nov-Jan)
SFTF evaluates funding issues (Nov-Jan)
SFTF and members of Advisory tour local fields (Dec)
SBC requests football field at Sprague (Dec)
SFTF requests that School Committee request a warrant article;
School Committee requests warrant article (Dec)
SFTF mails Public Hearing invitations to abutters (Jan)
Guiffre & Mills meet with abutters (Jan)
SFTF meets with synthetic turf vendors (Jan)
SFTF holds Public Hearing (Jan)
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
6
Options under consideration
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Option A. Master Plan
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Improves entire parcel
Includes two synthetic turf fields (fields 2 & 3)
Type of synthetic turf to be determined
Precise costs to be determined
Amount of CPC funding to be determined
Amount of private funding to be determined
Need for phasing to be determined depending on funding
Option B. Remediation-area Plan
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Fields 1 & 2 plus softball field and road improvements
Natural grass only
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
7
Field Layout (1 of 2)
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UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT
5 rectangular multi-use fields (1 could be used for football)
2 full-size baseball diamonds (1 re-uses existing diamond)
1 softball diamond
Playground for Sprague Elementary School (paid for by Sprague PTO)
Natural grass field next to Sprague Elementary School
As much buffer as possible for neighbors
Plowable walking path for Sprague and WMS students
Increased parking
Improved drop-off line for Sprague Elementary School
Re-uses “shed” for storage and other maintenance activities
Bathroom facilities and concession stand
No lights
No permanent fences, stands, or scoreboards
Potential for synthetic turf on fields 2 and 3
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
8
Field Layout (2 of 2)
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Synthetic turf (1of 3)
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Environmental & Health Risk Sub-group
 Sub-group
report plus extensive literature on SFTF section
of town website
 No conclusive evidence that tire crumb is a health or
environmental hazard, but because there are are potentially
hazardous materials in tire crumb, from an environmental
& health standpoint, it is prudent to explore other synthetic
turf options
 Explored TPE synthetic turf and no-infill synthetic turf
 Summary of synthetic turf options by Mr. Morse
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
10
Synthetic turf (2 of 3)
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Sports Injury Risk Sub-group
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Synthetic turf is comparable to premium natural grass from
a sports injury standpoint
 Premium natural grass fields require periodic rest, which
Wellesley cannot afford to provide
 Lower incidence of concussions on in-filled synthetic turf
(versus premium natural grass)
 Lower incidence of abrasions on premium natural grass
(versus in-filled synthetic turf)
 Wellesley does not have premium natural grass
 In-filled synthetic turf is not “Astro turf”
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
11
Synthetic turf (3 of 3)
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Other towns Sub-group
 Other towns report favorably on their experience with synthetic turf
 Talked to Framingham, Lexington, and Waltham
 Reviewed information from Lincoln-Sudbury gathered last year
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
12
Preliminary Cost Estimates
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Option A
 Approximately $3.6M
 Can be broken into two
phases if private fundraising and/or
CPC application does not yield target amounts
 Does not include Sprague Playground, which will be paid
for by Sprague PTO
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Option B
 Approximately $1.0M
 Does not include Sprague
Playground, which will be paid
for by Sprague PTO
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
13
Potential Funding Arrangements
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Option A
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Private Fundraising*
CPA Application**
Town Funds***
$1,800,000 - $2,000,000 (≈ 50-55%)
$1,200,000 - $1,400,000 (≈ 33-40%)
$ 300,000 - $ 600,000 (≈ 10-15%)
Option B
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CPA Application**
Town Funds ***
$ 700,000 (≈ 70%)
$ 300,000 (≈ 30%)
* There can be no assurance that private fundraising will yield the target amount.
** There can be no assurance that CPC will decide to fund any portion of this project with CPA
funds, and if CPC funds any portion of the project, there can be no assurance that it will fund
the full amount requested in the application.
*** There can be no assurance that the Town will commit the target amount.
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
14
Next Steps
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Listen to public input (January)
Deliberate and vote on a recommendation (January)
Commence private fundraising if necessary (January)
Submit CPC application (January)
Update Advisory (January)
Present recommendation to School Committee (January)
School Committee vote (January)
Commence work on designs (January)
Commence work on bid documents (January)
Present to other Town boards (January)
Bid advertisement (March)
Town Meeting vote (March-April)
Commence work (June)
Substantially complete work (September)
Open bids (April)
Check references and award contract (April)
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
15
Questions & Feedback
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SFTF welcomes any and all questions and
feedback on what has been presented tonight
For more SFTF information, go to www.wellesleyma.gov,
and find the SFTF section under Boards and Committees
16