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Possible improvements to Robert J. Nutile Field C are on deck for Monday’s Select Board meeting.
Winchester Youth Baseball & Softball (WYBS) is looking to renovate the field tucked in between fields B and D on Johnson Road. According to the proposed plan, changes could include installing a new vinyl coated chain link backstop and dugout, adding a metal roof to the dugout and replacing the grassy infield with synthetic turf, similar to Skillings Field.
Organizers state in the proposal that makeup clay, which currently exists in the infield, inhibits water absorption when it rains. That, they say, leads to runoff which can take months or even years to be absorbed.
Synthetic turf is permeable, which, combined with other elements, would significantly reduce surface runoff and its impact to the watershed.
The presentation was initially slated to come before the board Oct. 15, but was postponed to Oct. 28.
Select Board Chair Michelle Prior said the group had already met with the Fields Management Committee, and according to a memo from Recreation Department Director Nick Cacciolfi, they support the proposal.
But the backing came with some stipulations:
• WYBA must notify the neighbors of the proposed work and listen to their feedback.
• They should also be clear with the exact figure needed for maintenance and replacement. Synthetic turf has a shelf life.
It was also noted the fee structure for the use of that field would likely change and those changes would have to be recommended by the FMC to the Select Board as an amendment to the Field Policy Document.
FMC said the WYBS should also have a plan in case parents on the softball side of the organization demand equal use of the turf field for their programming making it equitable for all.
Select Board member Bill McGonigle asked if the presenters were looking for specific action or just wanted to float the idea.
Town Manager Beth Rudolph said since the field is a town asset, they would need the board’s permission to move forward with the project. The Conservation Commission is also required to chime in on the project and organizers would need to acquire building permits and hire a contractor before construction could even get underway.
Prior noted the board’s role was about more than just granting permission. Since the field is situated between two others, how will they access it; if it impacts field B, will it be restored to its current condition?
“We’d have to know all of those things before we grant permission, and make sure we understand what we’re getting back and the untouched portions that will probably be touched if they are putting equipment in or dragging things across,” Prior said. “Maybe they have answers for that, too.”
