Parks & Recreation Commission Votes to Pursue CPC funds for Legion Field building replacement
Commission reviews progress at Legion Field, work on five-year-plan.
BRIDGEWATER - April 14 - The Bridgewater Parks & Recreation Commission has unanimously approved pursuing Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds to replace the Lazaro maintenance building at Legion Field.
During their April 14 meeting, commission members voted 3-0 to seek funding for a replacement facility after the town's building inspector determined the existing structure needs to be demolished.
"I propose we need a new building there that we see if we can get CPC funds to build a new building," Commission Chairman Mark Thomas said during the meeting.
The commission discussed that CPC would likely only provide funding for a replacement building of the same size as the current structure. Members are currently working on completing the eligibility form required for CPC consideration.
The maintenance building project represents one of several improvements being made at Legion Field, where Little League baseball has recently begun its season with games starting the week of April 14 and official opening day ceremonies scheduled for April 26.
Commission members also discussed ongoing improvements at Legion Field, including new dugouts, stairs, and electronic scoreboards that have been installed with support from local businesses and volunteers.
"Everything that we've done down at Legion Field with the dugouts, the stairs, anything else that's going on down there... I make it aware to Little League and everybody else that this is a Parks & Rec thing that we're all in support of," Thomas said.
Three electronic scoreboards, valued at approximately $10,000 each, have been donated by local businesses including Barrett's, Bridgewater Sports Complex, and Fast Signs. Commission members noted that installation work was completed with donated materials and volunteer labor, saving an estimated $15,000 in installation costs.
The commission also addressed several other recreation-related topics:
* Pickleball court usage and scheduling at town facilities
* Potential development of multipurpose athletic fields
* Maintenance issues with the walking track at Legion Field
* Little League field maintenance responsibilities
* Possible acquisition of additional land adjacent to recreation facilities
* Development of a five-year recreation plan
A significant portion of the meeting focused on the commission's desire to develop a comprehensive five-year plan for recreation facilities in Bridgewater. Members discussed the need for better planning to address both immediate maintenance needs and longer-term development goals.
"That’s what I've been saying for months is that we need to have a five-year plan," one commission member Gina Guasconi said. Guasconi represents the Recreation Commission on the Community Preservation Commission. “We need to have one.”
The commission plans to use this five-year planning process to identify projects that could qualify for CPC funding as well as those that should be included in the town's capital budget.
Members also discussed a potential multipurpose field project at the middle school that has already received preliminary eligibility approval from the CPC. This project would involve regrading the existing field area to create a level playing surface that could be used by multiple sports including lacrosse and football.
The commissioners noted that while the middle school property is leased to the school department, the town would maintain control of the fields outside of school hours. Several local sports organizations are involved in planning the project, including the lacrosse league and football program.
"We've kept football up to speed, and they're willing to help out in any way they can," Thomas said regarding the collaborative nature of the project.
Commission members expressed frustration about cracks in the walking track at Legion Field, which were attributed to weather conditions rather than the quality of the paint used on the surface. Parks and Recreation Superintendent James Small discussed potential repair methods and ongoing maintenance needs.
The meeting concluded with a discussion about the commission’s relationship with the town's golf course operations. Members expressed hope that the incoming town manager would respect the commission’s oversight role as defined in the town charter.
The next Parks & Recreation Commission meeting will include a presentation from the pickleball league regarding court usage and scheduling, as well as further discussion of the five-year recreation plan.
This article was generated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence. Please contact bridgewaterraynhamnews@gmail.com with any accuracy concerns.
Watch the complete meeting courtesy of the Town of Bridgewater.