The Wellesley Field Fund has begun its campaign to raise $1.5M for getting lights, team rooms, and a modern sound system installed at the high school track and field. That amount of private fundraising would be designed to cover construction and material costs that have been on the rise from earlier estimates for the project closer to $1M.
A Natural Resources Commission vote over the summer in favor of allowing lights, after years of discussion and debate in town, has paved the way for fundraising to begin.
Some $1.3M was raised via roughly a thousand donors in 2015-2016 to pay for resurfacing the Wellesley High track and installing a larger artificial turf field. Familiar faces from that fundraising effort are back, and the campaign is led by Jerry Nigro, a Wellesley resident who is active in coaching youth sports and is the boys’ lacrosse rep for the town’s Playing Fields Task Force. Donations would be tax deductible, as the fund’s fiscal sponsor is local non-profit Community Investors.
Wellesley Field Fund organizers aim to hit their fundraising goal by Nov. 1 (or by Thanksgiving at the latest), as the town won’t permit construction to begin until funds are secured.
Specifically, the money would be used for:
● Team rooms: Locker rooms and bathrooms for home and away teams.
● Lighting: Aimed at providing safety for athletes and spectators during games and practices at dusk or night, and allowing for more people to attend events. The dark sky-compliant lights would be designed to limit their impact on the surrounding area.
● Sound system: Speakers mounted to direct sound to the immediate track & field area.
(Funding for a combo bathroom and concession stand facility would largely be covered by money appropriated at the 2018 Annual Town Meeting.)
Wellesley School Committee member Linda Chow shared an update on the project at that town body’s Sept. 13 meeting shortly after the 23-minute mark of the Wellesley Media recording. The School Committee in February of 2021 agreed to explore lighting and team rooms as a package.
“As a committee we had decided early on that because the town had already so generously committed to rebuilding two new elementary schools we did not feel that we wanted to go back to the town and ask for funding for this particular project. That was a very conscious decision we made to privately fundraise,” she said.
Chow emphasized that the committee itself cannot do the private fundraising and that’s where the Field Fund comes in. The Fund will provide regular updates to the public and School Committee.
Looking ahead, each of these projects will need to make their way through various town groups, including the Design Review Board, Wetlands Protection Committee (bathrooms had done this), and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Field Fund is hopeful most approvals can be secured by early winter. The fact that Phase I of the project included permitting for stormwater and utility connections, envisioning team rooms and bathrooms, that should smooth the process.
Once funded, the installation of the lights and sound system could be completed within 6 months, while the completion of team rooms would likely take 9-12 months, according to the Field Fund.
As a long-time resident of Wellesley and also as a long-time high school and college soccer referee, I am for the lights and other facilities being added to the current high school stadium/track complex.
From my many years of experience with stadium lighting, I believe the current (new) lighting technology is Great and keeps the lights primarily On the Field and not spilling over to outside of the stadium. One merely needs to see Newton South High School or the Boston College stadium at their law school that is used for soccer and lacrosse. The lighting is excellent for the sports games and does Not disturb the neighbors.
Whereas it is the SOUND SYSTEM that is the major issue and the major complaint of the neighbors. That is the item that MUST be considered when installing (positioning) and using during the matches. And the sound system should NEVER be used for practices. Granted the MANY immediate neighbors (and I am NOT one of those) are also concerned about parking, but the school and the police should be able to handle that properly. It is the SOUND that will be the major complaint, and needs to considered NOW before the construction begins. All the best and good luck with the upgraded facility.
Tom, I found this information relating to the improved directed sound system useful and maybe you will too. Great that you are giving back to the kids and sport by refereeing. That is a tough job.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C0FJ54Y3jy6smqOtsqO3vi2VxrUHZvCD/view
Thank you, Tom, for speaking from experience, and Chris, thanks for sharing this document. Have you read it?
The bottom of page 2 states, “A Low range of maximum levels could be set bringing the overall levels on the field 75 dBA to 80dBA and keep the Grandstand at a louder volume. This should result in sound levels at nearest residences at or below the desired 80 dBA range.”
As a comparison, the sound of a gas-powered leaf blower is 80 dBA from a 50′ distance. This sound during the daytime is so loud that the town requires town employees to wear personal protective equipment when working with equipment.
In fact, this level of noise (80 dBA) bothers so many people in town that there was a petition to limit commercial use at one point. Even our own’s Swellesley’s Bob Brown had this to say in his recent article: “then as if on cue, loud motors from work being done in our neighborhood attacked my ears and brain from the left and right and I was forced to move my operation indoors to concentrate.”. https://theswellesleyreleaf blowins noise port.com/2021/09/wellesley-dpw-goes-quiet-with-electric-landscaping-gear/
The acceptable noise level in Wellesley and town around has been 40-50dBA after hours. (ZBA discussion during the high school build and recently during the Hardy School build.) Newton has a noise ordinance after 7 pm — 10 dba above ambient noise. In residential districts, Cambridge and Boston also have noise ordinances set at 50 dBA from 6 pm to 7 am.
This document begs the question, “why is 80 dBa acceptable after 7 until 9:30 at night in a residential neighborhood?”
Happy to help with this request, paying forward for the generations that will get to enjoy the track & field.
Go Raiders
One of the best things to happen in this town since Reidy Field. This will be an incredible experience for all those who get to participate. Well done!!!