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Letter to the editor re: process for field lights

February 21, 2022 by admin

2/24/22: Editor’s note: The letter writer has issued the following clarification regarding an earlier letter by the writer published Feb. 21, 2022. That original letter is published below the clarification.

To the editor:

In a recent letter regarding the discussion of lights at the high school track and field, I made the statement, “Lights for the high school field have been talked about for a long time—but an actual project proposal, the only one that has ever been brought forward as far as I know, has been in front of the NRC for about three months.” I have received some strong pushback on that from the co-chairs of the Lighting Subcommittee of the Playing Fields Task Force who spent a great deal of time putting together a report on the topic of lights, at the request of the NRC.

That report was presented to the NRC in November of 2019 and to the School Committee in December of 2019. In my statement, I did not mean any disrespect to the lighting subcommittee or the work they conducted. In my mind, based on my experience with the way projects progress through the Town’s process, this was a report, not a project proposal ready to be taken up and voted on. I should have been more precise in the language I chose to use in my letter. The project proposal before the NRC, I believe, is the first actual project proposal developed enough to be brought forward for a vote.

That 2019 subcommittee report was discussed and the NRC felt there were some more actions to be taken to move forward. As the Chair of the CPC in early 2020, I had conversations with the subcommittee members about the possibility of CPA funds being used for lighting projects, both a potential retrofit of existing lights and installation of new ones at the high school field. In our conversations, we discussed the town process for projects and the steps that would need to be taken for a high school field lights project, including the need to involve neighbors and abutters in what would be a difficult process. I did not view the 2019 subcommittee report as a project proposal that was “fully baked” as town projects that are ready to be voted on are described.

Since then, additional steps have been taken and the School Committee has now taken the lead. The School Committee voted in the fall of 2021 to bring forward a project proposal for lights on the high school track and field. That proposal was presented to the NRC in November 2021 and is the project proposal that has been taken up to be voted on. This is what I was referring to.

I apologize if my statement has caused some confusion. If I am going to complain as I have about the misinformation and distortion being circulated regarding the NRC, athletic fields and actions taken or not taken, the last thing I want to do is make statements that are confusing or viewed as disrespectful to town volunteers.

Barbara McMahon
Amherst Road

2/21/2022

I have watched, listened and read closely a great deal of information regarding the proposal for lights at the high school track and field. I feel compelled to speak because some of what I continue to see and hear is so disappointing—and not true.

I have been involved in Wellesley’s Town Government for almost thirty years and have sat on many committees and task forces, a number of which have dealt with parkland and active playing fields. In my experience, the Natural Resources Commission has been cooperative, collegial and willing to problem solve. While I may not have always agreed with what was proposed or how we were asked to proceed, whatever the project—it was always a better project as a result of taking time and looking at it from all perspectives.

Lights for the high school field have been talked about for a long time—but an actual project proposal, the only one that has ever been brought forward as far as I know, has been in front of the NRC for about three months. Anyone who is familiar at all with how Town government works knows that 3 months is no time at all. And there has been no lack of public discourse on the subject.

In the last several years, the Town has spent millions of dollars on playing field improvements. The NRC has been involved and has supported all of these projects. The NRC has not deliberately stalled projects and is as anxious as the rest of us to have team rooms and bathrooms installed, as was approved by the NRC and funded by Town Meeting a few years ago. To say this project is held up because of the NRC is a gross misrepresentation. And the facts on this are not hard to find.

As for the proposed lights, I would venture to say that there is a very good reason there are not lights on this field already. There has always been support on the part of some folks in town—and especially some high school athletes—for lights there, and it was always understood that there were neighborhoods around the field who would not support lights. The NRC should be applauded for taking on this debate. It is sad that it has been distorted by false accusations and veiled personal attacks.

Wellesley as a community, in my experience, has great respect for neighborhoods impacted by projects. The School Department may know this better than any—look at conditions created around some of our school buildings that are not desirable or convenient to many due to concessions made to neighbors. There are considerable restrictions on the Sprague fields, which are controlled by the schools, because of neighborhood concerns—and there was no push to light those fields. Projects proposed by other Town departments over the years also responded to neighbor concerns. The restrictions on the Warren building and the decision to leave the police station in its current location come to mind—and there are others. Wellesley respects its neighborhoods.

When the track and field renovation was planned, neighbors participated in the development of the plan every step of the way and ultimately endorsed it. Yes, these folks all live in homes near actively used playing fields and athletic courts. Noise, traffic and inconveniences are part of the package. With the renovation of the field, all of those things have increased as the ability to use the turf field has increased. Putting lights on the field is something completely new and will exacerbate all these issues—and at a whole new time of day.

We have been told that this light project is “needed.” I am trying to understand how the proposal before the NRC solves what I understand to be the actual the need—rectangular athletic playing fields. I cannot see how permanent lights on this one field, used 30 nights a year, will fill this need—or solve a problem of regular field access for middle school students, as I have seen suggested. Could this be a first step to more frequent and regular use of these lights as neighbors fear? Shouldn’t the time, energy and money being spent on this be directed at the real need for fields in town? And who knows—with some planning and creative thinking, there could be better place for a field with lights that actually fulfills a need and solves a real problem.

If the goal of this project is to provide a few nights of interscholastic games because it will be a fun activity for the community, why is the proposal to rent lights for a couple of weeks not a viable solution? I have heard that this does not satisfy the athletic department’s needs. Do lights on 30 nights a year fill that need?

The NRC will be undertaking a field use optimization study, if Town Meeting approves the use of CPA funds for this project. I am hopeful a lot of helpful information will come from that.

I urge the NRC to reject the proposal before them. Let’s work on solving what I believe is the real need in town. And if the schools are serious about having night games in order to build community and give students a new outlet for social interaction, then let’s work out a plan and schedule for renting lights that the neighbors and concerned citizens can agree to. Let’s be honest in our information sharing and discussions. That’s the kind of community cooperation and compromise we should be working towards. And that is what we should be demonstrating to Wellesley’s students and athletes.

Barbara McMahon
Amherst Road

(I submit this letter as a citizen of Wellesley and not as a member of any committees or working groups. Opinions expressed are my own.)

Hunnewell track & field lighting: The latest

January 10, 2022 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Emotions related to whether lights should be allowed at the Hunnewell track & field at Wellesley High School range from anger and frustration to enthusiasm and hope. All were on display over the past week during the Jan. 6 Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting, and before that, the Jan. 3 Select Board meeting. More than three hours was spent on the topic at those meetings.

The Select Board meeting featured discussion about a possible non-binding referendum to gauge public opinion on whether to allow lights at the track and field. The lights issue has pitted field neighbors who fear that the lights (plus sounds, traffic, and trash associated with night events) will intrude on their lives and harm the environment vs. those who seek more night-time community-wide events at that space and more flexibility for student-athletes. Town officials have struggled to find a way to foster compromise given strong feelings on each side of this topic, which has been discussed for years though heated up again in recent months.

The NRC, which serves as the steward for the property, hasn’t given an indication of when it might make a decision on a proposal brought forth by the School Committee. The schools returned to the NRC on Jan. 6, starting with comments from Wellesley High School’s Abraham Budson-McQuilken, vice president of the senior class and Student Congress (just before 40 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording). During his remarks, he said a survey of the student body indicated 98% of respondents are in favor of the team rooms and lights at the field, and that the Council passed a resolution in favor of installing lights. Budson-McQuilken said the Council is supportive of the technology proposed for the lights, from an environmental perspective, and that having lights will give student-athletes the flexibility needed to take part in playoff games without leaving school early.

The School Committee’s Linda Chow followed with a presentation addressing earlier questions raised by the NRC and concerns aired by neighbors about the lights proposal.

Among her points was that there hadn’t actually been a promise not to install lights at the field when the renovations were made back in 2015-2016, based on conversations with those leading that project and a review of meeting minutes. Chow also referenced a response to a recent presentation from the NRC by Neighbors of Hunnewell Field as well as another meeting with neighbor “representatives”—a term that some neighbors during citizen speak questioned the validity of. The schools have also begun discussions about how the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) might put in place conditions during the site plan approval and special permit process to address neighbor fears about increased use of lights later on if they were to be installed.

In addressing the NRC’s criteria for considering land use change, Chow said: “We really have been focused primarily on the impact on natural resources as well as impact on the neighborhood. But we actually at the same time feel it’s important to note that the criteria also includes the impact on land user groups…,” including students and the broader community.

Looking head, Chow would expect a public hearing to be held before any NRC vote is made, and was hoping to get a sense of what the NRC’s timeline might look like to help set community expectations. She acknowledged that if lights are approved by the NRC, that many more meetings would follow, including with the Select Board (to approve raising of public funds), Wetlands, and the ZBA.

A lineup of citizens followed. Their points included:

Considering field rentals at already lighted fields
Reconsidering lights at Sprague Fields
ZBA conditions can protect against the slippery slope of more lights and games
The NRC’s mission includes managing parkland for the public benefit
Take a look at Boston College to see how a lighted field can impact a nearby neighborhood
Many neighborhood meetings are not part of the public record
Keeping climate impact front of mind, perhaps even considering a solar installation to power lights
Mosquitoes will be psyched about the lights

NRC board members discussed their current views following citizen speak, and Laura Robert described the situation as “log jammed.” She suggested scaling things way back, starting with lights for a few events, and working from there. Robert also recommended putting thought into where lights could go, on land not overseen by the NRC, if lots of nighttime outdoor events is what people in town really want.

Jay McHale encouraged fellow Commissioners to zero in on the change of use issues for the property. “It’s just a matter of us going through it and saying where do we think we have an issue, what the issue is, and how do we think it could be mitigated…,” he said. McHale’s reluctant to ask the schools to do a lot of this work given the amount of effort they’ve already put into their proposal.

Commissioner Bea Bezmalinovic said she would still like to hear more from stadium neighbors: “What could be acceptable? How would this be acceptable? If it were to be acceptable what would acceptable look like?”

Next up for the NRC will be a Jan. 20 meeting for the Commission members only to focus solely on the stadium lights issue, with a plan to offer guidance to schools on its proposal.

Select Board meeting

Several days before the NRC met, the Select Board mulled whether to vote in favor of putting a resident-submitted non-binding referendum on the March 1 ballot that would seek to weigh public opinion on the matter of installing lights at the track and field (see Wellesley Media recording at about 1-hour, 15-minute mark). Petitioner Laurance Stuntz, a Recreation Commissioner and Playing Fields Task Force chair who submitted the referendum as a private resident, cited a “process error” involving information imparted to him by the Town Clerk’s office that he said eventually resulted in him taking the referendum request directly to the Select Board last week rather than first collecting a bunch of resident signatures to get it on the ballot. In the name of fairness, Select Board Member Beth Sullivan Woods raised the idea that this might be cause for allowing the referendum on the ballot or resetting the clock on the applicant’s need to collect 2,000 signatures, though others didn’t favor making an exception in part because there were other public sources for understanding the process.

As for the referendum itself, Stuntz said “By putting this public opinion question on the ballot the Select Board has the opportunity to gather the broad opinion of town voters at a time when the NRC is considering the very well thought out and balanced proposal developed by the School Committee.”

Select Board Chair Tom Ulfelder made clear from the start of the agenda item that the Board was not there to give its opinions on the value of lights at the stadium, but rather to decide on whether or not to put the referendum on the ballot. This was in part stated to help keep citizen speak participants on topic. It sort of worked, and citizens shared their thoughts on why they thought the Board should or should not allow the referendum on the ballot.

There was acknowledgement by one citizen of the sometimes painfully thorough “Wellesley way” of deliberating over issues, but also a stated desire to get a decision made. “It’s time for the NRC to actually see the forest for the trees,” another speaker said. There were also comments urging the Select Board to let the NRC do its job as part of Wellesley’s decentralized form of town government, and not allow a public opinion referendum put undue pressure on the Commission.

NRC Chair Raina McManus said during the Select Board meeting that the “NRC is undergoing its process. We have every intention of getting to a result. And we want to find a solution that does work for everyone, and I’m really hopeful that we will get there…”

The Select Board voted 5-0 against putting the referendum on the ballot.

Board member Colette Aufranc observed that this decision involves many complexities, and that a thorough process has been taking place involving independent but cooperative boards and commissions. She added that citizens have also had various opportunities to make their voices heard at public meetings and so forth. “I’m concerned that the Select Board has been asked to step into a decision process that’s really the responsibility of a separately elected board…and no matter what course of action we take here tonight the question goes back to the NRC,” she said.

Likewise, Board Member Lise Olney asked herself the question of whether it was really appropriate for the Board to put a question on the ballot that relates to a decision under active consideration by another elected group and outside of the Board’s jurisdiction. What’s more, Olney said she didn’t expect a ballot referendum “would reveal a lot that we don’t know,” as Board members are well aware that there’s a lot of support across town, but also strong opposition from numerous neighbors. She wasn’t convinced the referendum would help the town reach any sort of compromise.

Ulfelder stated that the outcome of such a referendum would be predictable in that a preponderance of voters likely favor lights at the stadium. But the preferred way forward would be a negotiated agreement worked out by the NRC that “doesn’t make everyone happy, but doesn’t make everyone angry as well.”

Wellesley field lighting back in the spotlight

January 24, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Those who took part on Wellesley’s Playing Fields Task Force Light Subcommittee have been getting increasingly frustrated over what they see as inaction on a thorough report (embedded below) that the group produced well over a year ago about lighting at the town’s playing fields, including the high school stadium. Task Force member Laurance Stuntz, during the citizen speak portion at the start of the Oct. 22 Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting, urged the NRC to speed up the process and offered to help in any way he could.

The NRC says it has been taking plenty of steps to move forward on this issue, though really brought it back into the spotlight at its Jan. 22 meeting. The NRC had hoped to get Wellesley school officials to take part, but the timing didn’t work out, so it forged ahead with a discussion anyway that lasted more than an hour and a half (you can view it on the Wellesley Media recording of the meeting, beginning at about the 45-minute mark).

NRC Chair Raina McManus shared background on the topic of field lighting in Wellesley, including its request for information on the subject from the Playing Fields Task Force after hearing interest from residents in spring of 2019 about adding lights to the stadium (even though big field projects at Sprague and at the stadium were completed with assurances there would be no lights). The Task Force presented its findings to the NRC in late 2019 and community members weighed in, both pro and con, on issues ranging from field usage to the environment to expanding options for the community to gather, such as at night games.

“It’s fair to say that the subcommittee members and community. members did a lot of great work, but no consensus was reached,” McManus said, noting that the NRC issued a press release about the matter in January of 2020 titled “NRC to Seek Consensus on Lighting Hunnewell Track and Field.”

The NRC, which says its mission is to protect the town’s natural resources as well as support passive and active recreation, has continued to gather community feedback. It has also met with Wellesley High Athletic Director John Brown, contracted with a lighting consultant, explored funding options, and included a $400,000 capital request for lighting replacement in its 5-year capital plan. NRC commissioners established consideration of Hunnewell Field lighting as one of their 2021 goals.

While School Committee and School Department officials couldn’t attend the Jan. 22 meeting, the School Committee did give the NRC an update. It confirmed that its top priority at the high school stadium remains completion of team rooms and bathrooms, with a press box and lighting next on the list.

During discussion on the topic among NRC members, Laura Robert raised the issue that the introduction of new lights on playing fields represents “a real culture change,” and deserves to be. part of a broader public discussion. Katie Griffith agreed, and said even though bathrooms and team rooms are the school system’s priorities for the stadium, there’s no reason that a wider discussion can’t start now. As it is now, she said, “we’re blocked.”

NRC member Jay McHale took it up a notch toward the end of the meeting: “I think everybody’s frustration… is that the town does not have a guide for how to get things done.”

During citizen speak, a handful of residents spoke in favor or against additional field lighting.

One proponent said there’s huge support for lights in town and that such a project could get done by the fall if the town were to take advantage of private funding offers. Among his arguments for lights were that all of the schools Wellesley competes against in outdoor sports have field lights, young athletes are put in harm’s way by going full speed in dim lighting, and that lights could help attract more college scouts to town to recruit student-athletes.

“This is a safety issue, it’s a community building issue, and it’s a capacity issue. There is a broad consensus on a desire to have lights here,” resident Jim Miller said.

Neighbors ticked off a list of reasons not to add new lights, arguing that more events would mean more traffic in an already congested area, and appealing to the NRC’s environmental sensibilities by citing the impact new lights would have on everything from wildlife to energy usage and costs. They suggested that dropping school enrollment would lessen the scramble for available fields.

“The current neighborhood in the evening is a quiet, calm, and serene environment. The additional of lights will make it a loud, brash, and dirty one. It changes the character completely,” said resident Cliff Canaday.

Wrapping up the discussion, NRC members said school officials ultimately need to take the lead. Though they said the NRC plans to be a key partner if new lighting turns out to be a priority.

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What a relief: Wellesley Town meeting approves $524K for Hunnewell Field bathroom

October 27, 2020 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

Wellesley Town Meeting, once again convening virtually due to the pandemic, got down to business on Monday night. It approved the only article on the Special Town Meeting I warrant, regarding Middle School Building Systems, and got through more than a third of the 30 articles slated for Special Town Meeting II.

Updated results through Monday night, plus we’ve embedded the 3-hour, 47-minute Wellesley Media recording of the meeting at the very bottom of this post.

Among those approved in Meeting II was Article 9, which focused on using $524K in Community Preservation Committee funds to install new bathrooms along the aqueduct at the Hunnewell Field complex. The current bathroom structure, not in use since 2017, was installed in 1950. CPC Chair Barbara McMahon narrates a video explaining the project and its history, which includes several stops and starts, with the Hunnewell complex bathroom project put aside more than once as other projects took precedence.

restroom trees hunnewell field wellesley — Existing Hunnewell fields bathroom

Other articles passed during the opening night of Special Town Meeting included those regarding Wellesley Free Library renovations, a climate change resolution, the renaming of Hunnewell 2 Field to Diane P. Warren Field, and the Sprague Elementary School chiller.

Town Meeting is back in action Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7pm.

Town Meeting recording courtesy of Wellesley Media

Open question: What about Wellesley’s playing fields?

May 18, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

The closing of Morses Pond beach and management of the Brook Path in light of COVID-19 concerns have been hot topics in Wellesley in recent weeks. Now some in town would like to see Wellesley officials take a fresh look at playing field rules as the weather gets nicer.

Gov. Baker on Monday revealed the Massachusetts reopening plan. Based on new state guidance, tennis and pickleball courts could be among the first public play areas to re-open, with fields or courts that might involve contact play still a ways off.

The state in late March temporarily closed athletic fields and courts within the state park system until at least May 18, though parks are open for certain activities, such as hiking.

Wellesley closed parks, playing fields and playgrounds in March 16 to help enforce social distancing and to help avoid possible contamination through touching of playground equipment. Wellesley’s trails remain open for those adhering to social distancing.

Wellesley resident Jesse Boehm is among those who has launched a citizen petition urging the Natural Resource Commission to re-open fields it manages to support “the social and emotional well-being of our children.” The petition recommends at least opening fields for those within a family to use. It is not suggesting that structures, including playgrounds, be re-opened yet.

“A limited opening of fields would be consistent with the data-driven approach to risk assessment currently being used by the Commonwealth,” the petition states.

Wellesley’s fields are managed by both the Natural Resources Commission and School Committee, so the petition is being submitted to both organizations. The School Committee meets this week on Tuesday, May 19, and the NRC meets on Thursday, May 21, so there’s a good chance we’ll hear an update this week.

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Report: Light up Wellesley High sports field

December 3, 2019 by Bob Brown 4 Comments

A Wellesley Playing Fields Task Force Subcommittee, after surveying the boom in local sports participation and taking into consideration environmental and neighborhood concerns, recommends lighting up the High School stadium and overhauling the lights at several nearby fields and courts.

The public is being invited to review the subcommittee’s Wellesley Playing Fields Lights Report and weigh in via nrc@wellesleyma.gov or in person at upcoming Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meetings, including one on Dec. 5 at the Warren building (the NRC owns the properties under discussion). The subcommittee shared its findings last month at an NRC meeting.

The subcommittee argues that more, and less glaring, lights will allow way more people to take part in sports, including kids who get squeezed out of high school sports that have limited rosters. The report also suggests that having facilities more available will prevent student-athletes from cutting out of classes early for practices on the road.

Sports organizers could also save tens of thousands of dollars by using town properties instead of renting fields elsewhere, according to the report. The report focuses its light recommendations on turf fields, which are less affected by weather conditions than grass fields, which would often be out of commission due to rain even if they had lights.

Allowing lights at the WHS stadium could boost community morale by allowing for nighttime games, and allow WHS to host playoff games, according to the subcommittee. WHS is in the minority among nearby schools when it comes to a lack of lights. Nighttime lights at the stadium would also be a win for sports equality: Not only would the football team get to show its stuff at night, but girls’ field hockey, plus soccer and lacrosse would also have a chance to be showcased. Most of the nighttime activity would actually be for practices, according to the report, issued by a committee including reps from the schools, sport boosters, Department of Public Works, and more.

No word on whether the newfangled lights might zap those nasty EEE- and West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes that have been keeping athletes in at dusk. But they would have remote controls, allowing them to be turned off when not in use, and would be environmentally friendly by relying on clean energy from the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant.

rainy field, lights on, hunnewell field — Remote controls could put the kibosh on unused fields on rainy nights

The cost of lights at the stadium could exceed $400K, and it would be roughly about that much for replacing lights at the surrounding fields, according to estimates in the report. Funding would come from various of public and private sources.

The subcommittee reviewed the Sprague turf fields, and despite the fact that seemingly anything goes over there, lights were not recommended at that complex.

Abutters’ concerns over glare, noise associated with nighttime events, and traffic are all addressed in the report. Wellesley’s sporty police department says it’s got a handle on nighttime event traffic, based on past events.

[poll id=”5″]

The next regular NRC meeting will take place on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Warren Building (90 Washington Street).

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Fields of Means: Wellesley’s summer of new sports turf

August 16, 2019 by Lara Smith Leave a Comment

As summer begins to roll to an end, millions of dollars worth of new turf fields are popping up all over town in preparation for the upcoming school year and sports seasons.

Two new Sprague turf fields, part of a $1M makeover, are still being rolled out. The parking lot next to the fields is piled high with bags full of plastic pellets waiting to be spread across the two fields to add buoyancy. The sheer amount of plastic used to make these fields was overwhelming.

Scraps of turf snaked around the edges of the Sprague fields

New turf fields have also been rolled out at Dana Hall School, getting them closer to completing the Turf Field Project before the school year begins. The fields are part of a $1.8 project undertaken by Dana Hall this summer.

Dana Hall Field looking close to finished (08/14/19) — Dana Hall field looking close to finished (08/14/19)

Wellesley College has also invested in a new turf field for its athletics department in the middle of its outdoor track. The field was being painted and is closed until this weekend when Wellesley College teams will begin using the new field for practice.

Wellesley College Turf Field — Wellesley College turf field

And finally, the new Boston Sports Institute on Rte. 9 has finished the indoor turf field and is almost ready for Wellesley Youth Soccer, Wellesley Youth Lacrosse and the Boston Bolts club soccer team to begin using the field. There is both an upstairs and downstairs section from which fans can watch.

Indoor turf field at Boston Sports Institute

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