New TMHS Athletic Field Construction To Continue As Planned
Field, located adjacent to new high school, is expected to be completed by July 1.
Despite the failure to land a Parkland Grant, construction of the new Tewksbury high School athletic field will go on as scheduled.
The only difference is, the field will be natural grass.
Back in October, Tewksbury voters had approved spending $750,000 to install artificial turf on the new field. However, the vote was contingent upon the town landing a Parkland Grant, worth as much as $400,000, to help pay for it.
Town officials recently learned they had been bypassed for the grant. Supporters of the artificial turf proposal say they were encouraged by the feedback they received and will re-apply in 2013. However, Phase 2 of the new Tewksbury High construction project called for the parking lot and the field to completed by next summer, well before the next round of grant recipients are announced.
Town Manager Richard Montuori said the language of the Town Meeting article and the will of the voters would be respected. He said the field will be constructed with a grass surface.
"If the money can be raised later, we'll look at installing the artificial turf," said Montuori. "The project can't be delayed."
Phase 2 of the high school project will also include construction of a 5-court tennis complex near the school building. Residents voted that the tennis courts will be built using Community Preservation funds.
Steve Magplate
7:01 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
Property taxes on my house have gone up 38.5% in 4 years (2008-2012). Like the federal government the town needs to find ways to cut spending.
Rusty
10:23 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
Friends of the Tewksbury Community Athletic Complex, 0 Taxpayers 1
It"s a good start .
Dirk Anderson
10:42 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
Millions will be spent on therapy for these children later. How do you expect them to play football on GRASS!?!?
marisa avellani
2:17 pm on Monday, December 24, 2012
the same way that football has been played in the past. My property taxes are way too high. Does anybody care that I am retired on a fixed income? There are many of people in the same boat as me. We are at the end of OUR ROPE!!!
jo
11:46 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
The citizens of Tewksbury voted to support a new high school, now someone wants to lay a guilt trip on the populace for kids playing football, please.Enough is enough.
SoxFan
1:00 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Pretty sure the field is not for football.. that facility is at the Ryan School and not changing.
Karyn
2:32 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
This is good to hear as long as the promise to the taxpayers is honored and kept. Let those who want artificial turf continue to fund raise for it.
Malden Exile
1:29 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
I hope that when the fields are done, we can plant some grass on the gravel filled softball fields at Livingston as the hs program will be moving I assume. Note I said grass, not field turf.....
jon
12:26 pm on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Softball is supposed to be played on gravel genius
Joe M
1:45 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Livingston Street "Field of Dreams" Complex is remaining as is. The complex is supported and run by the TGSL. Hundreds of girls from the age of 10 thru 15 use this facility from April thru June (In-Town League) along with the several Tewksbury Travel softball teams and the Tewksbury teams that play in the Summer MiddleEssex softball League. As "jon" indicates above softball is ALWAYS played on gravel and or clay. The gravel fields are typically less maintance and drain better after a heavy rain. Memorial field will also remain for use by the Varsity and JV High school teams.
"Malden Exile" - sounds like you have sons (or did) and assume all playing fields should have grass infields for baseball. Sorry Malden but their are hundreds of girls in this town who also deserve to play sports !!
Malden Exile
5:17 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012
Joe and Jon, tmhs uses the field at the teen center, not the youth field of dreams.....where my daughter played. My sons have played on the gravel pits at each elementary school that all have gravel as well as millet, Ernest, the one at the state hospital, the one at the state field, and the tmhs one in front of the skate part. Not a genius but I can count high enough to know that there aren't enough baseball fields. There are only 5 dedicated baseball fields as far as I know... of which youth only use 3, while seniors use the others.