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During the October 19 meeting of Sudbury’s Park and Recreation Commission, the commissioners continued to discuss their Davis Field project; and they took decisive action.
After lengthy deliberation the Commission:
- Voted down a 3-field option
- Voted favorably on a 2-field option
- Voted to eliminate all fencing, netting, storage boxes and bleachers from the project
The intent of the cuts was to maintain the natural character of the field, and to balance the needs of active and passive recreation user groups.
The Commission also opted to pursue the smaller of two parking lot concepts, to avoid encroachment on any of the existing field areas. If the smaller lot gets a variance from the Planning Board, staff said they could fit as many as 88 parking spots without expanding into the fields. Chair Mara Huston told staff “We don’t want to move the parking lot into the field, that would piss a lot of people off, and probably be unnecessary.”
Public comment featured a variety of objections from residents who explained that they use the field as an off-leash dog park for years. They voiced concerns that the proposed changes would interfere with their preferred use. Sudbury bylaws do not allow for dogs to be off-leash anywhere in town, but over the years the wet conditions on the fields led to diminished usage by organized sports, creating a natural field area that became popular with dog owners.
Commissioners voiced an interest in accelerating planning for a proper off-leash dog park in Sudbury, and emphasized that the field project was being designed so as not to displace any of the passive recreation user groups on the property.
In scaling back the project, the estimated price tag dropped substantially. The designs and cost estimates will be further developed in the months ahead, though it will remain a big-ticket capital project even with the reduced scope. Factors driving the cost include the drainage and irrigation systems required to make the fields playable. Pending decisions include selection of possible bathroom facilities, or semi-permanent portable toilets that were also discussed during the meeting.
Commissioners have warned that the overuse of Sudbury’s existing fields will eventually lead to costly capital projects. Adding more rectangular fields to the mix, according to proponents, gives the Town the ability to rest fields on a schedule, and maintain them in a manner that reduces the risk of major capital projects for repairs.
The next major milestone is a hearing with the Community Preservation Committee. If they recommend the project to Town Meeting, residents will have the opportunity to vote on it in May 2027.
