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On October 21, the Sudbury Park and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to support a project application that has already been submitted to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) by Assistant Town Manager Victor Garofalo, but it took some convincing and a lot of discussion.
The project would add playground equipment to the SMILE playground at Haskell Field. That playground was the source of controversy earlier this year when the original project did not deliver on the scope that was presented to Town Meeting in 2021. In addition to surface replacement, several trees and a large play structure were removed, as planned, but shade structures and replacement equipment were not installed after years of delays in getting the project started.
While the vote to support the application was unanimous, Chair Mara Huston voiced a desire to see the ADA-compliant structures in the application upgraded to achieve universal design. Commissioners also voiced concerns about getting another opportunity to weigh in on design decisions.
Member Ben Carmel bluntly told the commissioners that he would not vote to support the application unless the commission solicited public input on the design concepts. He voiced a concern that failing to gather public input following the outrage that was voiced after construction completed earlier this year would be “tone deaf.”
The final motion to support the CPC application made it clear that universal design was preferred, though it may not fit within the budget that was submitted with the application. Commissioners agreed that they would solicit public input at a future meeting, and Assistant Town Manager Victor Garofalo agreed to gather three additional concepts/estimates from contractors that would achieve universal design within the existing budget, if possible.
Garofalo implored the commission to vote during that meeting to at least support the project in concept, even as design and equipment selections are ongoing. That may prove to be prudent for all applications before the CPC, as their meetings and deliberations have become increasingly contentious and confrontational since the Select Board representative changed last year. Any hesitation or delay in endorsements from committees associated with CPC projects could risk losing the support of the CPC, or simply mire the application in acrimony, as was the case with several projects last year.