Maile Blume
With a new funding request to consider, the ongoing debate around the desired use of the West of Harris Fields is heating up.
On Sept. 30, Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, on behalf of the town, applied for funding from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to plant grass at the West of Harris Fields, located on the Middle and High School campus, adjacent to the ice rink construction project. The application, which requests an amount “to be determined,” came with a letter of support from the School Committee.
At a Recreation Commission meeting on Oct. 7, members of the public suggested several options for the site, including artificial turf, grass, or a mix of field types to accommodate sports such as soccer and baseball. Meanwhile, Belmont Friends of Tennis—a local group of tennis supporters that have pushed for tennis courts to be included in the plans since 2019 when the old courts were demolished during the construction of the new school—is continuing its advocacy for new courts for student-athletes.
According to the School Committee’s letter of support, the town’s plan to use the West of Harris Field area for field sports in 2018 was approved.
The letter also says that a year later, the School Department was “asked [by tennis supporters in the community] to review the plan in the hopes of adding tennis courts.”
According to the same letter, the School Committee and School Department then met with various interested groups. The department consulted with the assistant town manager, ultimately deciding to move forward with the plan to use the area for field sports in January 2020.
Earlier research into field use showed “competition for limited field space in town among high school teams, youth sports, and the recreation department.” However, at the Oct. 7 Recreation Commission meeting, Chair David Lind said the town is awaiting the results of a new study on field use because the previous study was conducted when other fields were under construction, potentially skewing the results.
Lind said the redevelopment project — which includes constructing field space for baseball, softball, soccer, and discus — will be under the schools’ purview and that the School Committee will discuss the plans.
In a letter to town officials from Belmont Friends of Tennis, members of the local group argued that “more athletes are trying out for both the boys and girls teams, and having limited facilities has required cutting qualified candidates from the team to keep team sizes small, as well as diminished practice time.”
“Travel to both Grove and Winn Brook from the high school is challenging, with many team members historically taking the dangerous risk of crossing the train tracks to get to Winn Brook practice on time,” the letter reads. “There are no changing rooms, seating, or bathrooms at the Winn Brook courts, which is uncomfortable and unhygienic for our student-athletes, as well as visiting teams and spectators.”