Politics & Government

Town Council Approves Borrowing $3 million to Renovate Victory Field

Watertown's primary athletic complex will get a new synthetic turf field, lights and baseball stands.

Watertown athletes will have a brand new, state of the art field to play on in the fall, with the Town Council giving its approval to borrow $3 million to pay for the renovation of Victory Field, Tuesday.

The proposal passed unanimously in front of a packed Council Chamber filled mostly with athletes and their parents, but some said they worried about undertaking the project in a time when Watertown is struggling to pay teachers and town employees.

Jay Hughes, who has two children and is on the board of Watertown Youth Lacrosse, said he thinks the time is right because construction cost and financing costs are down, plus the facility needs work.

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“Victory Field currently is in disrepair,” Hughes said. “We have a state of the art library, police station and fire station. We should have a state of the art field for Watertown’s athletes. It would benefit children of this generation and many to come.”

John Bertrand, a lifelong town resident, said the project is coming at a bad time, with the town and schools looking at laying-off employees.

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“I want the best for children and the schools, but this is not the time to spend $3 million on artificial turf,” Bertrand said. “We are talking about laying off teachers and I’ve heard we are considering closing the Orchard Street fire station. Jobs come before artificial turf. This is a luxury.”

Michael Lahiff, Watertown High School’s athletic director, said many more teams will be able to use Victory Field after the renovation is complete. Now only the football and baseball teams can use it, but boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys’ and girls’ soccer and field hockey will also be able to practice and play on the new turf field.

Recreation Department Director Peter Centola said the new field will not only benefit high school athletes and youth sports teams, but the recreation department. He said he plans to run more programs during the summer and other times for children and adults.

The bid for the work came in below the $3.1 million, at $2.7 million, said Project Manager Glen Howard of CDM, the design firm. With the contingency for cost overruns, the total is $3 million, he said. The costs estimates are:

  • $2.22 million - Site improvements (preparation and removals, base for the field, drainage system, lights and electrical, fencing and paving)
  • $550,000 – Install a 160,000 square foot artificial turf field.
  • $228,000 – Construction contingency and project administration.

While the town can borrow $3 million, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said a fundraising committee will be formed with the goal of raising enough to cover half the total cost. They will look for donations from corporations and individuals. Also, the town will look for grants.

Youth sports teams will be charged a $25 user fee for each member of a youth sports team using the field for 10 years.

The money from user fees will go into a revolving account to pay for maintenance and improvements at Victory Field and other recreation facilities, Driscoll said.

The town already has commitments from two corporations for $100,000 each.

The first two years of the payments, Watertown will only pay the interest on the loan, Driscoll said, so if now more money was raised the town would owe $56,000 each of the first two years, he said.

The last eight years of the payments, Driscoll said, Watertown would owe both interest and principal. In Fiscal 2014, the third year, the town would owe $490,000, Driscoll said, if they have to pay off $2.8 million.

Town Councilor Tony Palomba worried about undertaking such a large project in a bad economy. Some argued capital funds are separate from the town’s operating fund, but Palomba said they are related.

“That money all comes out of your property taxes,” Driscoll said.

He also worries about being able to raise money after the project is completed. Even though the full payments do not start for two years, the time line calls for the project to begin in the spring and be completed by the fall.

“Raising $1.5 million in this economy will be difficult, and if we are raising money after the project is built it will be even more difficult,” Palomba said.

Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she also worried about adding more projects to the Watertown budget, and said many people have contacted her saying they have had enough

Town Council Vice President Steve Corbett said now that now that the project has been approved, she hoped that the support would continue.

“I am very impressed with the enthusiasm shown for the project,” Corbett said. “I you continue that effort with the fund raising.”


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