Wellesley Natural Resources Commission updates: Morses Pond, Hunnewell field bathrooms & team rooms
The latest from the Natural Resources Commission, which met on March 6 (see Wellesley Media recording) and reconvenes on March 20.
Feeling good about Town Meeting articles
NRC member Jay McHale appeared to be optimistic about NRC-sponsored articles for Annual Town Meeting about funding for a supplemental feasibility study on the Morses Pond bathhouse and beach project and another regarding the renovation of the Hunnewell tennis and pickleball courts. The Advisory Committee recently registered 12-0 votes for favorable recommendations on both. A key message on the Morses Pond funding is that much of the roughly $170K being requested really represents funds that would have been spent anyway at during the coming design phase of the project and isn’t necessarily a case of going back to the drawing board, as a member of the public explained during the meeting.
Concessions & bathrooms
McHale shared an update on the concession stand and bathroom buildings coming to the Hunnewell track and field. Expect them to show up during April break, he said.
In a follow-up by email, McHale explained there will be 2 buildings—one with a concession stand and 3 individual bathrooms to be used on a daily basis when the field is open. The second building will have 10 bathrooms, 5 for males, 5 for females, that will open for big games/events on the field. The cost for all this is in the area of $850K.
Team rooms sneak peek
McHale also shared images of what the team rooms coming to Hunnewell track & field might look like, including options for some cover in inclement weather. There had initially been plans for the School Committee to bring an article to Town Meeting about funding design work, but McHale said the School Committee decided not to do that.
The hope is to have design work and permitting done this summer and have bids in hand for the Fall Town Meeting meeting to get construction done next year (the School Committee had team rooms on its agenda for discussion at its March 11 meeting).
If a tree hearing is posted in a newspaper and no one reads it…
The NRC held a hearing on the fate of four trees in town. The hearing was promoted on the trees themselves (makes sense) and per outdated state law, in a dead tree newspaper. The NRC received no feedback on the postings.