Baseball Complex Feasibility Study Planned

A meeting of the on Wednesday evening was dedicated to mapping out the next step to advance the proposed Malone property baseball complex along Route 117 – securing funds to do a feasibility study.

Two potential sources of funding for the study have been identified, which is projected to cost roughly $30,000 to $60,000. The first source is public funds administered by the Sudbury Community Preservation Committee (CPC). The second is private money raised by the non-profit organization The Friends of Park and Recreation, whose charter is to support the various sports and recreational groups in town.

A preliminary question before the commission was how best to define a feasibility study.

Member James Marotta felt a study should identify "what is physically possible, legally permissible, financially feasible, and offers the maximum productivity in terms of land use." However, Marotta also suggested that the financial analysis could be handled by a different party further along in the planning process.  

Commission members concurred that determining the best use of the land based on user need was a high priority. One concern previously raised by town stakeholders is that the complex might be utilized almost exclusively by boys. The number of town residents younger than the age of 18 is also projected to decline significantly over the next five to 10 years, which could give rise to the argument that the existing number of baseball fields is sufficient to meet future demand. Additionally, advised commission chairman Paul Griffin, other groups in Sudbury, such as those for lacrosse and soccer, may have needs that they haven't fully explored.

"My proposal to everyone is to go back to your other groups, think outside the box, and surface things that could create a need for them," said Griffin. As an example, he cited the informal arrangement that Sudbury Lacrosse has to use the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School fields, which could be in jeopardy if demand for field time ever increased at the high school.  

However, commission member Georgette Heerwagen remained intent on the meeting's central focus.

 "The big question tonight is, where are we going to go for feasibility study funding?" she said. "If it's the CPC, need we need to submit a request form in nine days to meet a Nov. 12 deadline. If we go with the Friends, we have some more time."

The Commission ultimately agreed to pursue both sources of funding if they could successfully complete the CPC request form and supporting documentation by next week. Town employee Nancy McShea offered to contact Gale Associates, a firm that has performed studies for Sudbury in the past, for assistance with the request form and a more accurate cost estimate for the work.

Depending on the size of the estimate, commission chairman Griffin, who is also on the board of The Friends of Park and Recreation, suggested that the CPC and the Friends could potentially split the cost of the study.