Jordan Park, LHS fitness center projects OK’d

Published October 23, 2019

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — Better late than never.

After a 35-minute delay, Fall Town Meeting was able to reach the 175-voter quorum requirement and completed the town’s business in 45 minutes.

The Jordan Park renovation project generated the most debate during Fall Town Meeting. Article 11 requested voters to transfer $127,373 from the Overlay Surplus Account and $602,627 from the Sale of Real Estate Account in order to renovate Jordan Park.

DPW Director John Tomasz said the project “would provide the over 600 youth soccer participants practice and game flexibility for nine months of the year.”

“It will reduce the excessive use of the other natural turf fields that are presently in use,” said Tomasz. “The town has committed to a one-for-one replacement of the trees that are 6-inches in diameter or greater as part of this project.”

Tomasz said the parking lot would be expanded from 51 spaces to 99 spaces.

“This project would improve the safety of players and family members entering and leaving the site,” said Tomasz. “This project would improve the flow into the site for the people visiting and the athletes there.”

Tomasz said the redesigned field would be able to accommodate multiple games and practices being held simultaneously. He also said Jordan Park’s playground would be renovated as part of the project.

“We are going to be working with some groups in town to purchase new equipment,” said Tomasz.

Tomasz anticipates the project will begin in early November and will conclude in the spring.

The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee both voted to recommend the Jordan Park renovation project.

Munroe Street resident David Kulakowski asked how much the Jordan Park would project cost. Town Administrator Rob Dolan said the project’s total cost is $985,000.

“That has been bid and the low bidder is prepared to do the work,” said Dolan. “We are asking the town to dedicate $730,000. Lynnfield Youth Soccer has voted to gift the town $175,000. If this passes tonight, we would be given that money over the next 48 hours. The Townscape Board of Directors has voted to gift the town $50,000. There is also $30,000 left in existing funds as part of the fields project.”

In response to a question from Huckleberry Road resident Kendall Inglese, Tomasz said local officials will be working with Townscape and the Lynnfield Moms Group in order to construct a new playground for Jordan Park.

Inglese claimed “there are other hidden costs in here that aren’t exactly in writing.”

“It sounds like some of these gifts being made have strings attached,” said Inglese. “It seems like we are rushing this project when we have to vet other projects all the time.”

Board of Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford said the Jordan Park renovation project has been in the works for several years.

“We designed this as part of the original fields project,” said Crawford. “This is the third phase of the fields project. Gale Engineering created the design of this project originally, and we had it amended slightly to change some of the parking lot’s design. But other than that, it is the same project that was vetted years ago. There is nothing being rushed.”

Town Accountant Julie McCarthy noted the donations Lynnfield Youth Soccer Club and Townscape will be making will be put in writing before the funds are given to the town.

“Letters will come with the checks that will stipulate what the funds can be used for,” said McCarthy. “They cannot be spent on any other use.”

After a man in the audience moved the question, Town Meeting voted 125-61 to end debate on the Jordan Park project. Subsequently, Town Meeting approved the project 154-36.

Fitness center renovation OK’d

While there was a debate about the Jordan Park project, there was no discussion about the Lynnfield High School fitness center renovation project.

Selectman Chris Barrett explained that Article 10 would transfer $100,000 from Free Cash in order to renovate and purchase new equipment for LHS’ fitness center.

“These funds will be used to purchase new equipment and renovate the existing fitness center at Lynnfield High School,” said Barrett. “The center is used for training by Lynnfield High School athletic teams, but is available for use by the student population. Much of the existing equipment is damaged or non-functioning. This will provide for a substantial upgrade to the facility and the purchase of new, modern equipment to supplement or replace existing equipment. This project will provide the equipment our student-athletes deserve.”

The Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee and School Committee each voted to recommend Article 10. There were no residents who weighed in on the LHS fitness center project, which was approved 167-25.

Voters cruise through warrant

Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved Article 1, which transferred $968 from Free Cash in order to pay overdue bills.

Article 2 was approved by a 175-5 margin, which raised and appropriated $6,883, transferred $43,596 from Free Cash and transferred $170,111 from existing fiscal year 2020 appropriation accounts in order to balance the FY20 budget. Article 2 included $35,000 to fund engineering costs associated with the Complete Streets program and appropriated an additional $35,000 in order to conduct a feasibility study of the public safety building.

In the wake of the Complete Streets engineering costs and the public safety building feasibility study being included as part of Article 2, Town Meeting voted to indefinitely postpone Articles 3 and 4.

After a brief discussion, Town Meeting approved Article 5 by 143 votes to 34 votes. Dolan explained that Article 5 would adopt provisions in state law that would allow the Board of Selectmen to issue permits enabling restaurants to serve alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sundays.

“Restaurants seeking the change would be required to fill out an application and the Board of Selectmen would have to approve it,” said Dolan.

Town Meeting voted 167-11 to approve Article 6, which amended the Zoning Bylaw’s use table. Planning Board Chairman Brian Charville recalled that the re-codified Zoning Bylaw was approved at the 2017 Fall Town Meeting, which has been amended twice prior to Monday’s session.

“An outside attorney helped the town re-codify the Zoning Bylaw,” said Charville. “After using the bylaw for two years, we have found a couple of things shown in the table of uses were not carried over from the old Zoning Bylaw to the new one. We are simply making sure that part of zoning does not change and is consistent over the years.”

Patrice Lane resident Pat Campbell inquired if the attorney “failed to properly prepare the bylaw for Town Meeting.”

“Is there a penalty clause so we can get some of our money back?” Campbell asked.

Charville said the town’s contract with the attorney did not include a penalty clause.

“In the future, I hope there will be,” said Campbell in response.

Town Meeting also approved two other zoning warrant articles. Article 7 updated the Zoning Bylaw’s language pertaining to lot width requirements.

“The added language relates to feedback we have gotten from land use attorneys, who use the Zoning Bylaw day in and day out,” said Charville. “The Planning Board agrees with this feedback. There was a concern that if language does not mention lot width and lots existing before March 12, 1962, there might be a grandfathering concern. We think this added language addresses it.”

Article 8 was approved 173-14, which updated the town’s Zoning Map.

“The Zoning Map has not been updated since 1953,” said Charville.

Town Meeting approved Article 9, which accepted the Parsons Avenue Extension as a public way.