Rising cost estimates and lack of support from the Planning Board led the Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday to withdraw its funding requests for the Pyne Field redesign project and evaluate other avenues for developing athletic fields in town.

Tuesday’s vote stalls progress on the project, which has been in the works since 2022. Parks & Rec has spent most of this year hearing community feedback and preparing the project for review by the Planning Board.

At its meeting Monday, the Planning Board gave negative feedback on the current redesign plan, which includes a cricket pitch and a baseball field. Parking would sit on the other side of an easement used by JB Sawmill. The board felt this arrangement was a major safety concern.

“If there was an official vote, which there was not [Monday] night, they would vote the project down,” Parks & Rec Director Jon Lewitus told the commission. “They do not think the current design of the project is safe.”

Lewitus reported that concerns over people using the sawmill’s access road instead of the parking area also were brought up. The Planning Board would not waive requirements for an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, either.

During the commission’s discussion, Lewitus brought up additional concerns of ballooning costs and maintenance.

In 2022, the Community Preservation Committee approved $1 million for the project. A 90% submission plan provided by Gale Associates in September increased the anticipated budget to around $1.9 million. Adding EV chargers would further expand the estimated cost.

 “I’m anticipating a minimum of $3 million to get this project done, and that’s as it’s currently situated,” said Lewitus.

The director also voiced concerns over recuperating the maintenance costs for the redesigned fields from its user groups. He noted that he had received pushback from the local cricket organizations and that Hopkinton Little League considered Pyne Field lower on its priority list for play space.

The commission reviewed its options given the latest feedback from the Planning Board. “Do we pull the plug, look at a redesign, or do we look at other locations in town?” Lewitus asked.

“It’s not worth continuing to pursue, given the cost and approval barriers,” said vice chair Kyle Smith.

Member Amy O’Donnell agreed. “Without the support of the Planning Board, we’re just going to keep butting up against a variety of different issues,” she said.

Commission members agreed there were still opportunities to make improvements to Pyne Field and find space at other locations in town for both the cricket and baseball fields.

“Over the next 4-6 years, there’s going to be some space available at Elmwood School [and] potentially at Center School,” said chair Dan Terry. “I think this also buys us some time to include other properties in the mix and potentially have more of a long-range plan for an investment in fields.”

Following the discussion, Parks & Rec took two votes on the project, and both passed unanimously. The first withdrew the department’s current CPC request for additional funds. The second vote adopted a CPC recommendation to modify the approved funding request. This would require a vote at Annual Town Meeting next year and allow the commission to explore other options.

“We’re going to get something done,” said Terry. “It might just take some time.”

Parks & Rec ‘leans in’ to skate park graffiti

The commission indicated interest in integrating graffiti at the Hank Fredette Skate Park following a tagging incident last month.

Hopkinton Police opened an investigation into individuals who spray painted the ramps and other structures at the skate park in late November. An officer at the time noted that street art is a part of skate culture and, without a regular police presence and security cameras, tagging likely would occur again.

Lewitus offered the commission two options to address the issue. He either could have it cleaned and ask police to monitor the area closer, or make the graffiti a feature of the park. He noted the latter option was popular with skate parks in other towns.

“I talked to two other Parks & Rec departments who have had similar issues, and that’s the angle they have gone [with],” said Lewitus.

Multiple comments on an HPD Facebook post suggested holding a sanctioned street art event at the park.

Commission members were open to similar ideas. Smith stated it might be better to “lean in” to the graffiti rather than combating it. “Cleaning and fighting it seems like the wrong way to go,” he said. “I think we’re going to lose.”

O’Donnell brought up concerns over keeping the existing graffiti, expressing a worry over whether it was done in the spirit of skate culture or to be malicious. 

Lewitus noted he was planning on cleaning up any of the tags that contained expletives. He also informed the commission that he would be meeting with a high school student later in the week to discuss a potential graffiti project.