Antrim Parks & Recreation Commission
Minutes
November 14, 2013
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
Attendance
Parks & Rec Commissioners: Mike Genest, Joan Gorga, Sam Harding, Peter Lamb, Isaac Lombard and Tim Smith
Recreation Director: Celeste Lunetta
Minutes
The minutes from the October 10, 2013 meeting were approved as written.
New Park
Smith Road property. The Berkshire Design Group expects to complete the Conceptual Plan for the new park next week. Peter will email the plan to all commission members when he receives it. As soon as the plan is received, we will send out a letter to each abutter, in which they will be invited to be the first to view the plans and to give their feedback before we consider taking the project any further. This meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, December 5th at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, and will also be posted on the town web site. In the meantime, we will put together our “Press Release,” with a summary of the reasons for developing a new park at this site and an outline of funding options.
Maplewood Cemetery Property. Joan reported that Eric Tenney advised us not to disregard the offer of the use of some of the Maplewood Cemetery land, especially if the purchase of the Smith Road property does not go through. Eric feels that one might deal with the issue of the short line-of-sight when turning onto Route 202 by making the drive a one-way loop. The sense of the Commission was that the property is attractive for use for activities that do not require prime turf, such as a dog park or archery. However, even though it is anticipated that the land will be available for at least 25 years, the expense of constructing a turf grass athletic field precludes building an athletic field on land that is not owned by the town.
Memorial Park
Park Improvement. Details of the wording of the new ordinances and park rules are still being worked out. However, we hope to have the wrinkles ironed out and the signs ready to be posted by spring.
Joan and Celeste were invited to take part in a newly-formed drug abuse prevention group, which has now met twice at Avenue A. The group was organized by Marcia Ullman, a Grapevine Board member, and includes Detective Jason LePine of the Antrim Police Department, Jim Elder, Principal of GBS, Kristen Vance, Grapevine Executive Director, Sydney Wilson-Smith, Grapevine Board member, Kathleen Robbins, who worked formerly at the Antrim Girls’ Shelter, and Jamie Bergeron, a ConVal senior doing an internship with the Grapevine. At the initial meeting, Detective LePine described the growing drug problem and Joan briefly presented the results of the Memorial Park survey taken during the summer and the additional input from the police and Memorial Park neighbors. This group looks to be very supportive of our plans to
revitalize Memorial Park, and we will continue to work with them.
Skatepark. Tim reported that the reconstruction of the Pyramid structure is done! The Skatepark Subcommittee put in many hours, but it seems that the project was a positive experience for the many volunteers, and they would like to keep the activity level up. For their next project they are considering painting or putting up more fencing. In the future, they would also like to purchase Skatelite for the new ramp. Six sheets at a cost of approximately $200 each will be needed.
The park notice board/sign was damaged. It was hanging by one bolt and the Plexiglass cover was broken. It has been taken down for repair. Parks and Rec will cover the cost of Plexiglass replacement at Edmunds.
Budget
Capital Improvement Projects. When the conceptual plan for the new park is received, Joan will make final adjustments to the CIP budget and send the updates to the CIP budget committee.
Operating Budget. The Selectboard will be considering the Rec Department budget on November 25. Celeste and Joan plan to attend.
Shea Field
Nets. The posts are all up. The nets will be ordered this year.
Lighting. Peter is looking into replacing the general lights with LED wall packs, which use only 38 watts of power, versus the current 175 watt bulbs. The LED wall packs cost about $250 each, but will pay for themselves within about two years.
ConVal Agreement
ConVal/Antrim Agreement Subcommittee. Joan sent an email to Rich Cahoon to notify ConVal that Mike, Joan, Isaac and Celeste would represent Antrim on the ConVal/Antrim Agreement Subcommittee designated to work out agreements over the use of the Town Gym and Shea Field. Rich Cahoon responded that David Martz was coordinating the effort for ConVal, and forwarded the information to him. Joan sent a follow-up email several weeks later, but the meeting has yet to be scheduled. Mike suggested forwarding the latest email to Galen and himself to see if Galen can be more successful at getting the ball rolling.
Memorial Gym
Several new issues have arisen over shared use of the Town Gym. GBS has increased use of the gym well after school hours. For many years, Tae Kwon Do has been offered as an after-school activity starting at 3:30, but now GBS PE teachers are demanding use of the gym for basketball practice at that time. GBS PE teachers also requested that Parks and Rec employees make and install a sign saying that the climbing net is for use by ConVal staff only. The Parks and Rec Commissioners all remember discussing that the equipment must be shared as a condition of installation. We also stipulated that the net will be removed if it causes problems. It is noted, however, that GBS custodians are now cleaning the gym after the school day.
Gregg Lake
On a warm October day, when the water had been drawn down nearly to its winter level, Joan used the beach rake to reach as far out as possible to rake the sludge off the bottom in the swimming area. After the piles of sludge were left to dry for about a week, the crack beach-raking team of Liz Robertson, Frank Gorga and Joan removed all the sludge to the Gorga compost pile. We anticipate that the beach bottom will have been greatly improved after spring and fall rakings this year, and recommend that the rakings continue in future years. It may be possible to get a group to do it as a community service project.
It was noted that the cover has been broken off of an outside electrical box on east end of the bathhouse. It was also recommended that new electrical service be installed at the beach. A bigger circuit breaker box is needed. The cost is estimated to be between $3000 and $5000 for 100 amp service.
Recreation Department
The winter program flier will come out in the December 1 Limrik. Two new youth programs being offered are Circus Arts, including acrobatics, juggling and more, and a Fishing Intensive Program, in collaboration with the Harris Center, for middle school kids, which will start with ice fishing, move to fly fishing and then to lake fishing. For adults, a free Monday night Jujitsu class has been added. The next Family Fun Night will be held March 7. The Family Roller Skating Nights sponsored by Antrim Friends of Recreation have been a lot of fun.
The next regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 12th at 7:00 pm at the Rec Office.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:29 pm.
-Joan Gorga, Chair and Secretary
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