Published in the October 4, 2017 edition

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — Contractors are making progress with the Lynnfield Middle School track and fields complex despite hitting several bumps in the road, Fields Committee Chairman Arthur Bourque said in an email last week.

“The facility is starting to take shape and we can start to visualize what it will look like when it is done,” said Bourque.  

Bourque said the track’s subsurface was completed last week and contractor David White and Son is scheduled to pave the track this week. However, he said “the contractor that will be installing the polyurethane track surface has informed us that they are significantly behind schedule and will not be able to complete our track this fall.”  

“After a discussion with various officials, a decision was made to use the track for practice in the spring without a polyurethane surface that has been lane marked,” said Bourque. “We will complete the track finish in June at the end of the Lynnfield High School track season.  This will give the track team a place to practice, but leaves us without a facility to conduct meets. This was a major disappointment for all of us that have worked hard to keep this project on schedule. We expect that all of the track will be complete this fall except for this surfacing.”

Bourque informed local and school officials this past spring there was a possibility the polyurethane surface would not be installed this fall after the contractor got behind schedule with other projects due to a wet spring.

Water issues

Bourque said, “we have had some major issues finding an adequate supply of water” for the LMS football and softball fields.

“The well at the middle school was pump tested to 27 gallons per minute,” said Bourque. “While that is a pretty good well, we really need more water to supply both the field at the track and the softball field. Previously, there were two other wells at the middle school track. One is a deep well that had been pulled out of service several years ago because it was not producing.  We pump tested that and it is producing approximately six gallons per minute. We have decided to frack that well.”

Additionally, Bourque said there is “a second shallow well on the property that in the past has produced water into July,” but has since “gone dry.”  

“We drove a shallow auger into that well to see if we could increase the performance of that well and it appears we have,” said Bourque.  “Our intent is to tie all of these wells together so we have multiple sources providing water for multiple fields.  It is a little complex, but we have spent a lot of time discussing this solution with a number of people that have good knowledge of this issue and we are very optimistic that we will solve this problem. My thanks to (Lynnfield Center Water District Superintendent) Ken Burnham and (DPW foreman) Brett Potter for all of their input and help on this.”

Bourque said it has been a challenge for contractors to get water from the track to the softball field. Bourque and Gale Associates representative John Perry met with the Conservation Commission recently, and said “they were extremely helpful in finding a solution to this issue.”  

“We are working with them to get a supply line installed that will adequately service the softball field,” said Bourque. “Now that we have solved the problem of irrigating the softball field, we are pushing the contractor hard to get onto the softball field and complete the project on that field. We expect the work to proceed very quickly once we are in there. We are still expecting that field to be ready for play in the spring of next year.”  

Ledge found

In addition to the project’s water issues, Bourque said contractors have “encountered far more granite ledge on this project than we had anticipated.”

“We had the hydraulic jackhammer out there for over two weeks to break this up and excavate the material,” said Bourque.

Bourque said contractors hit “solid ledge” on “areas such as the outside of the track where the LHS (logo) was on the previous field” as well as “under the areas where we are installing water and electrical service going out to Parsons Avenue.”  

“We have completed the removal and are working on installing the new material and drainage that is going in,” said Bourque. “The concrete crew has been installing the drains and the nailer (curb).”

Bourque said contractors worked on the concrete pads for the towable bleachers and concession stand last week.

According to Bourque, the LMS track and fields project is “within the budget” approved at April Town Meeting, but said “the well issue and granite ledge are pushing us hard into the contingency money with their associated change orders.”

Town Meeting voted to allocate $2.25 million for the track and fields project in April.

Bourque thanked DPW Director John Tomasz and Conversation Administrator Betty Adelson “for their continued support on this project.” He also thanked Building Inspector Jack Roberto for his assistance with the required permitting process for the prefabricated storage building that is being constructed at the LMS track and field complex.