Year in which Town Meeting first heard the proposal to fund soccer fields at Plum Brook Recreation Area off Potwine Road. Three separate votes at three Town Meetings were needed to approve the funding for the project...$500,000 of which was to be borrowed and repaid through Community Preservation Act funds. According to the Annual Town Report, in 2004, the Recreation Area received clearance for its plans from both the Amherst Conservation Commission and the Amherst Planning Board. Funding for Plum Brook was again hotly contested in 2005. A later referendum to rescind this funding source was rejected by Town Meeting on June 15, 2005 and later by voters in the September 27, 2005 election.
Initially projected to be completed by Spring 2006, by June 2006, the project had reached a "standstill" due to weather. At that point, LSSE Director Linda Chalfant predicted that the fields would be ready by Fall 2006. When our Town Manager, Larry Shaffer, arrived on the scene in July 2006, he set up weekly on-site meetings at Plum Brook and assigned the town engineer to oversee the project. Still not ready by summer 2007, delays were now blamed on inability to grow grass in time. By summer 2008, the grass was there but apparently crabgrass, so the new completion date was said to be Fall 2009. Also in 2008, a decision involving Newton raised the question of whether or not Amherst could legitimately use Community Preservation Act funds in this way, but ultimately, Town Counsel concluded that Amherst's use of CPA funds in this way was legitimate. Interestingly, the Bulletin article that covered this story on December 5, 2008 lists the project as "already complete." The Amherst Youth Soccer Association web site still optimistically proclaims "Work is progressing at Plum Brook. Fields are not expected to be ready for play until Spring of 2009."
It is now Spring 2009 and my daughter's soccer team, along with many others in town, will be playing their entire spring season on the road due to lack of fields in Amherst. That's right...fifteen games away. Oh, they are listed as the home team for seven of them, and for anyone interested in catching the girls at "home", the games will be played in Ludlow, East Longmeadow, Agawam, Wilbraham, Chicopee, and Belchertown.
12 comments:
You should have added a link to when the Army Corps. of Engineers offered their labor and were insulted by the select board/town manager, resulting in them saying they wouldn't do it after all. It would be DONE by now, for LESS money, and our kids would be playing on their own darn field!
Amherst!
Anon 4:15PM: Yes, there is that as well. Although in fairness, it isn't certain that the fields WOULD be done if the Army Corps of Engineers had done the work. But I do remember thinking at the time, "why is the town turning down that offer?!" Thank you for reminding me.
Yeah, but those damn army guys/gals would want to fly the American flag from the back of their backhoes.
We also used CPA money illegally but since it was already spent...Oh well.
Actually it was the Marine Reserve unit out of Westover.
How hard is it to grow grass?
Who is responsible for the fields?
If the Town Manager is responsible for the project, doesn't that mean the Select Board is ultimately responsible? Have we heard anything from the Select Board?
Mica: It is my understanding that the fields were the responsibility of LSSE. Last week I emailed the Director of LSSE as well as the person in charge of sports to inquire about the status of the fields. So far, I have gotten no answer. I imagine it might be hard to grow grass in a hurry, but there have been "grass problems" for years now and when I drive by, it sure looks like grass to me! Meanwhile, the girls' travel soccer team heads off to Agawam today for their season opener...
I recall it had something to do with the irrigation system not being installed on time, or something else to do with timing of work not done. They seeded it, didn't water it, and weeds took over. Being where it is they can't use chemicals so... yet another situation that could have been avoided.
LSSE reports to the Town Manager, who reports to the Select Board....
So who is accountable? So who is taking responsibility?
And speaking of reporting, has this issue be covered in the local papers?
I haven't seen anything in the papers. It would be nice if the Gazette would do a report since there are many, many confused soccer parents out there this season.
I have passed the story idea along to Mary Carey, along with a link to the blog and comments. Perhaps we will read more in the paper soon!
So what was really the issue with the Potwine Fields? Lets see we the residents of Amherst and the Amherst Youth Soccer League (many none residents) wanted fields that would rival the local college and university fields. Then people complained about the cost and the project never recovered. I understand there was a land grab and then some bullying from the State DEP because they had to do something to appease the abutters, but that just raised the entire project cost more.
Has anyone looked at the budget for the DPW division that maintains fields? It has no additional funds to maintain the field so what do you think is going to happen to this field, the same thing that has happened to Kiwanis Field on Stanley Street. This field was reworked by the Army National Guard in 2001 and look at it now.
We build a palace and seldom but the money in to maintain it. So why not just play on the crabgrass? It is green and the field is level and playable. Regardless of what it will look like when it is officially declared open, it will be just like Kiwanis in two -three years.
Anon 7:59AM: I love your suggestion of "why not just play on the crabgrass?" Sounds like a great solution to me! Compared to some of the other fields availble in town (Kiwanis, Fort River, and the water-laden field behind the East Street Annex) playing on graded crabgrass would seem like luxury!
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