by Joan Eliyesil ·
Friday, November 22, 2024
While the Parks and Recreation Commission continues its search for a location to install new athletic fields, an existing facility has outlived its expected lifespan and needs to be revived—the McCurdy Track and the playing field inside it. The commission asked the Capital Planning and Investment Committee at its Oct. 31 meeting for a little over $2.4 million to renovate the track and field, and an additional $1.7 million to renovate and build an addition onto the “track shack,” the storage shed adjacent to the track.
Recreation Director Anne McWaters told the committee the typical lifespan of a track is 20 years, with one resurfacing usually performed between eight and 12 years. McCurdy Track was built in 2002 and resurfaced in 2014. McWaters said a track can only be resurfaced once. She said Harvard’s track has cracks as well as uneven surfaces that cause water to puddle. The field within the track, used for both soccer and lacrosse, is no longer level and has poor drainage, so it also needs to be reconstructed.
The proposed track and field renovation project includes adding permanent spectator seating, making the field ADA accessible, building stairs to access the field where discus, javelin, high jump, and long jump events take place, and adding a walking path to connect the Harvard Senior Center to Harvard Park, where the track and field facility is located.
In a separate request, the commission asked for funds to upgrade the track shack to a field house with four restrooms (two upstairs and two downstairs), changing rooms for boys and girls, a workout area, and more storage space. The current building has no electricity or plumbing; the only bathroom facilities on-site are two portable restrooms, which McWaters said are not sufficient during games or matches. The lower level is used for equipment storage such as hurdles and mats, and the unfinished space upstairs is used as a changing room for the girls track and field team.
McWaters said adding permanent bathroom facilities at McCurdy Track would serve more than just the town’s athletic teams. She said she frequently sees many residents, young and old, walking around the track at all times of the day. She added there would be additional maintenance costs to keep the bathrooms clean, but the town would save over $200 a month on portable restroom rentals.
CPIC member Abby Besse questioned why the two projects were not bundled into a single request. Member Charles Oliver responded that the two together are “a big chunk to bite off” for the town. He added that the track work needs to be done, while the building is more of a “want.” Besse disagreed, saying that changing rooms and permanent bathrooms at the track should be considered a necessity. Member Mike Derse agreed that the two projects should be combined but asked if they could be put off until some of the debt taxpayers are currently paying comes off the books.
Derse also asked McWaters about the upcoming costs for the new athletic fields currently under discussion (see story on page 1). She said if the town chooses an area that is already an open field, installing a field would cost about $3 million, but if a wooded location was chosen, the cost would likely escalate to around $7 million.
Chair Nate Finch said he would ask Finance Director Jared Mullane to provide the committee with information about the debt schedule. He said a large piece of debt will come off the books in 2026, but the Devens water project and the Department of Public Works renovation are about to be added to the debt. In addition, he said the Fire Department wants a new building, and Oliver reminded the committee that the town doesn’t yet know the price tag for capping the landfill behind the Transfer Station, a project that must be done to Department of Environmental Protection specifications.
The commission also submitted requests to the Community Preservation Committee to fund the track and field house renovations. CPC Chair Stu Sklar told the Press that his committee is working with CPIC to determine how the two committees might split funding the projects. He said if CPC helps with funding, it will likely be through a multiyear bond, the same method it used to fund a portion of the Town Hall renovation in 2015.
The Capital Planning and Investment Committee is scheduled to meet Nov. 21 to discuss fiscal 2026 requests from the Fire Department and Ambulance Service; the following day it will meet with the School Committee. It will make its recommendations for all fiscal 2026 capital projects at the end of this year; CPC recommendations will be made in January