Antrim Parks & Recreation Commission
Minutes
April 11, 2013
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
Attendance
Parks & Rec Commissioners: Joan Gorga, Sam Harding, Peter Lamb, Isaac Lombard, Tim Smith and Mike Genest (Selectboard ex-officio)
Recreation Director: Celeste Lunetta
Minutes
The minutes from the February 14, 2012 meeting were approved.
Miscellaneous
Community supper. Celeste informed us that the town boards were hosting the community supper next Thursday, April 18, and that she had received a request from Town Hall for help from the Parks and Rec Commission. Soups, salads, and desserts such as cookies and brownies were needed, as well as people to help set up, serve and clean up.
Shea Field
Maintenance. “Field Closed” signs posted when the turf is too wet to tolerate use have been respected, and users have been following “Cleats Only” restrictions.
Scoreboard. A quote was obtained from BSN Sports, and the scoreboard will be purchased.
Additional field space. Town meeting voted to allow the Selectboard to enter into discussions with the Maplewood Cemetery Board concerning the use of currently unused cemetery property for athletic purposes. Possible uses of this space are low-impact activities, such as archery, a dog park or a haunted hay ride. Legal issues, such as access, parking, and a clear line of sight need to be clarified.
ConVal Agreement
Update following Town Meeting and elections. Our understanding is that we are waiting for the ConVal School Board to come back to us with proposals for agreements on the use of both the Town Gym and Shea Field. Meanwhile, the gym floor continues to deteriorate, possibly exacerbated by moisture coming in from melting snow. Mike will try to bring the issue up with ConVal and follow up with the town lawyer regarding agreements on the use of both the gym and Shea Field, and specifically addressing the gym floor and issues over property boundaries.
Gregg Lake
Fishing tournament. It came to our attention that a bass fishing tournament has been scheduled for Gregg Lake on Saturday, May 11. The application was filed with NH Fish and Game, and lists a maximum of 15 boats allowed. As we have parking spots for only six boats at the public boat launch, and trailer parking is not allowed in the beach parking lot, we will contact NH Fish and Game and the organizers of the tournament to see whether the number of boats can be limited to six or less. We also discussed whether we could waive the trailer parking restriction from the beach parking lot, considering that it is out of season as far as beach use. We also normally charge $5.00/day for beach parking. If the weather is nice, a large number of boats in the beach parking lot could impact the community use
of the beach area.
Public/private use requests. As we regularly get requests to use the public beach area, we would like to renew and formalize our policy regarding use requests by private parties. We reiterated that no reservations can be made for tables, pavilions, or the volleyball court, that groups are limited to the use of one table, that there will be a $5.00 parking fee for out-of-town users, and that good manners are expected from all users at all times.
Rec Dept Staff and Programs
- Beach attendants and lifeguards are now being hired.
- Many applications for camp staff have been received.
- Baseball and softball registrations have been low across the region. Although some players have been lost to lacrosse, it appears that many of the younger children lack the patience for slower sports. Local towns have combined teams with Peterborough to have enough players.
- Tim and Celeste are working on bringing in a Hershey track program.
- “Sporties for Shorties,” for 4 to 6-year-olds, has been quite popular.
- There was a large sign-up for archery during spring vacation camp, and it will continue afterward.
- Swimming lessons will be offered this summer, but will not be affiliated with the American Red Cross, as it has become quite costly and difficult to satisfy their requirements. We will offer two 3-week sessions that run four days a week, using the same skilled and popular instructors who taught the lessons last year.
- Jeff King of Peterborough approached Celeste with an offer to let local recreation departments purchase a family pass to the Peterborough pool for $200. Recent renovations to the pool might make it attractive to local families. We discussed how to manage the use of such a pass, and decided to put off a final decision until the next meeting.
Memorial Park
Skate Park
Pyramid reconstruction. The Pyramid will be rebuilt off-site. Slight modifications will be made to simplify it and make a multidirectional ramp, which takes less material and is safer. Materials for the repairs will cost approximately $2500. The Parks & Rec Commission has already approved spending $2000 for the repairs. A quote for the materials will be taken to Galen Stearns to see whether the repairs can be covered by the Government Buildings fund.
Skate Park Subcommittee. The skate park subcommittee will be rebuilding the Pyramid with the help of users. They are also planning to sponsor a scooter competition on July 13. The consensus of the commission was that it would be better to ask for donations than to charge a small fee. Sponsors will also be sought. They were also granted permission to cut a door in the quarter pipe to store a broom and garbage bags.
Conflict with basketball. Celeste read an email she received from a basketball court user who mentioned conflicts with skate park users and also requested having keys painted at the hoops. In her response, Celeste requested patience while we develop the master plan for Memorial Park. We discussed moving the basketball hoops to the tennis court, as this may be a better combination of uses. We will look into the costs and details of installing new poles and hoops in the tennis court area. A regulation tennis court is 60’ x 120’, which is not too far from the dimensions of the current tennis court.
Bandstand
Stair reconstruction. Ken Drabble will rebuild the stairs to make a safer, sturdier, and more useful entrance to the bandstand.
10-Year Plan
Plant survey with Karen Bennett. The weather so far has precluded walking the park with Karen Bennett.
Survey. Revisions were made to the first draft of a survey to be distributed with the June Limrik (deadline May 10), and possibly at strategic spots around town. We also discussed making the June 13 Parks and Rec Commission meeting a public hearing about Memorial Park in order to get more input from the public.
Additional plans. Additional suggestions for Memorial Park included installing a water fountain or splash pads for children to play in and a restroom.
The next regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 9th at 7:00 pm at the Rec Office.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.
-Joan Gorga, Chair and Secretary
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