The Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday voted to rescind its previous $3 million Community Preservation funds request for a cricket pitch and baseball field at Pyne Field, opting instead to use existing funds to rehabilitate just the baseball field.

The decision came after a long discussion over the cost of design options developed by contractor Gale Associates for the property. Proposals for Pyne Field have gone through multiple iterations since the project first was proposed in 2022. Juggling the needs of stakeholders, abutters and a nearby sawmill has caused the commission to move through multiple project redesigns. 

While the commission submitted a project design to the Community Preservation Committee on Oct. 13, members agreed at that meeting that they needed to see additional designs, including one for just the baseball field. 

Chair Kyle Smith informed the commission that it either could continue on with its $3 million request to CPC or select a design that would refurbish just the baseball field at a total cost of $1.125 million. He added that members had the option to rescind the request entirely if they decided not to move forward with the Pyne Field project.

Much of the discussion about both proposals revolved around ancillary project costs, including irrigation and electrical work. The plans under review by the commission included costs relating to electric vehicle (EV) charger installation with the refurbishment of Pyne Field’s parking lots. 

At a meeting over a previous iteration of the Pyne Field plan in 2025, the Planning Board voted against a request by Parks & Rec to waive the town’s EV-ready infrastructure requirement.

Smith noted that under the plan for refurbishing just the baseball field, about 17% of the $1.125 million cost would be put toward electric work. 

Vice chair Dan Terry referenced a $175,000 cost for irrigation, which would involve digging a well. Per diem Parks & Rec director Jon Lewitus noted that the town’s Water-Sewer Department indicated it would not support Pyne Field being on town water and recommended a well instead.

CPC chair Ken Weismantel, who was in attendance following a request made during public comment for support on the upcoming Center School project, said a citizens’ petition getting rid of the EV requirement for town fields could be forthcoming, allowing that money to be spent elsewhere.

Commission members agreed it was not prudent to wait on a citizens’ petition that may or may not pass Town Meeting.

Member Amy O’Donnell lamented the rising project costs. “It’s tough for me to even comprehend that, to fix a field, it’s $1.125 million,” she said. “I feel like this has gotten way blown out of proportion.”

Funding amount scaled back

Members considered other paths forward if the commission was unwilling to commit to either the $3 million or $1.125 million requests. Terry wondered whether stakeholders such as Hopkinton Little League would be satisfied if the commission lowered its price tag for the project and made fewer improvements to the baseball field.

“I hate to go back to the drawing board, but I might hate spending $1.125 million even more,” he said.

Members agreed that they would not support the $3 million project. Likewise, the $1.125 refurbishment of just the baseball field also presented cost issues. Evaluating how to move forward, Smith asked Weismantel how much of the initial $1 million in CPA funds the project received in 2022 remained.

Weismantel provided a rough estimate that about $850,000 of the initial pool of funds still was available, but clarified they had been approved under the assumption the project would produce a multi-use field. The money could be repurposed, he stated, but that would require votes from both Parks & Rec and the CPC.

“I suggest we pick a number based on the estimates we have from Gale and what it would cost to get that [baseball] field up to being a quality playing field,” said Terry. “The focus would be on improving the existing playing surface dramatically.”

Although shifting to focus on fewer improvements to the baseball field and eliminating plans for the cricket field would scale back the project, Smith viewed the idea as a step forward. “To me, this is progress toward the goal from three years ago,” he said.

The commission took two votes following the discussion. The first rescinded the $3 million multi-use field request submitted to CPC, while the second repurposes up to $700,000 from the available CPA funds for the baseball field. Both votes passed unanimously.