Politics & Government

Harris Field 'Turf' Replacement Pegged at $960,000

Town Meeting financial watchdog votes unanimously to support using existing debt to replace threadbare "rug"

At one time, Belmont's now threadbare synthetic "turf" surface located at Harris Field adjacent the Viglirolo Skating Rink off Concord Avenue was "groundbreaking," said Patrick Maguire, the town's consultant on the future of the existing field.

"Back in 2001, Belmont was only the second high school in New England to install this type of field," Maguire said standing on the green artificial "grass" early yesterday morning, Wednesday, Oct. 9.

And the now thousands of schools – both public and private, high school and colleges – followed Belmont's example and have accepted the turf field, making it the standard for playing surfaces in New England and the country.

"These would not have existed without the great forethought of Belmont," said Maguire. 

And for the past dozen years, the field has been in almost constant use, serving a nearly a dozen high school sports, a collection of private teams (including the nationally-ranked state high school rugby champions) and youth leagues, pick-up games and kids wanting to run on the artificial surface.

And that level of activity has taken a toll. In the early morning light, the ridges and bumps in the field can easily be seen along with tears and patched repairs. At many games, opposition coaches and referees will comment about the field and its deteriorating condition.

Yesterday, with members of the Belmont Capital Budget Committee and town and school officials with him on the field, Maguire – who worked with the town back in 2001 with the original surface – said while the surface had "served the town well for more than its eight year life expectancy, it's time to refurbish [it]."

And with less than a month before it will be presented before Belmont's Special Town Meeting on Monday, Nov. 4, it appears that two important town groups that oversees both Belmont's finances and its long-term capital expenditures agree that the field should be replaced and just how to pay for it.

According to Town Administrator David Kale, who attended yesterday's meeting, the town will use existing debt that originally paid for the installation of the uni-vent air ducts at Belmont High School and was scheduled to be retired this year to pay for the refurbishing of the "turf" playing surface, place a pad under the surface to protect players, the installation of new fencing around the field and resurfacing of the six-lane running track.

The work will be bid out in November and the work on the field will begin in June, 2014, right after the final High School spring sports season ends. The construction and installation is expected to be complete by the first of September for the fall sports season.

The cost: $960,000.

Ann Marie Mahoney, chair of the Capital Budget Committee, said yesterday morning while her committee will take a vote on a recommendation to Town Meeting later when the entire group could vote, "Right now, I'm looking favorably on the project."

"The numbers are good, the work needs to be done and if the bids come in at or below the ($)960,000, then I see no reason not to support it," said Mahoney. 

While the Capital Budget Committee's recommendation is still to come, the Warrant Committee, the financial "watchdog" group for the Town Meeting, voted yesterday night, Oct. 9, unanimously to recommend "favorable" action when the Harris Field article comes before Special Town Meeting. 

"Fields are very very valuable in Belmont," said Warrant Committee member Bob McLaughlin, noting that it was the threat of losing a single softball diamond that "cost us a new library." 

"[The field] is going 24/7," said Mahoney, testifying before the committee. 

"It's a wonderful asset but it needs to be maintained," she noted. 

While supportive of the work, Warrant Committee member Elizabeth Allison questioned why the field's reconstruction could not compete for the nearly $1 million needed to make the repairs with other "necessary" projects for the money set aside to be used for capital expenses. 

"What we are now deciding is why [field] is so important that it should get protected" from the normal capital budget process where it most compete for the funds, asked Allison. 

Kale, who attends Warrant Committee meetings, said if the field isn't repaired for the start of next season, the worn out surface will likely become a safety issue. 

"[The field's] done, it's toast," said Kale. "And frankly the funding was there and it's not coming at the expense of other important [town functions]," said Kale.


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