Belmont athletes from multiple sports greeted Town Meeting members as they arrived at the high school Monday night.
The players handed out fliers, touting the value of the skating rink project as one that transcended sport.
“We are athletes who play rugby, football, lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, hockey and other sports,” the flier read.
The hope? That Town Meeting members would approve additional money for a municipal skating rink that includes locker rooms, bathrooms, concessions stands, and storage for all the sports at Belmont High School.
Inside, the row of seats set aside for presenters was nearly full, as members of the Municipal Skating Rink Committee and the designers were on hand to discuss the night’s overarching issue: Would Town Meeting members appropriate an additional $1.5 million to cover a budget shortfall in the skating rink project?
After about 90 minutes, the answer was an emphatic Yes, 200-27 with 10 abstentions.
According to Select Board Chair Roy Epstein, money will come from three sources: The Kendall Insurance Fund, insurance money from a school fire years ago, will contribute $950,000; unexpected interest revenue on bonds will contribute $550,000; and state Sen. William Brownsberger secured a $750,000 grant to install a carbon dioxide refrigeration system.
The money voted on on Monday night was for the Kendall fund and the interest payments, totaling $1.5 million. Town Meeting did not need to vote on the state grant.
On April 4, 2023, voters approved a $29.9 million debt exclusion to build the ice rink, which was needed when the old rink became unusable. Last winter, renewed estimates revealed that the cost of the building as designed was closer to $35 million.
In the intervening weeks, the committee in charge of the rink building pared down the design plans, trying to simplify some elements of the project while keeping crucial pieces of the design, such as locker rooms, concessions, bleachers, and storage, to be used by several different high school teams.
Monday night, two options were on the table: the $29.9 million project that would have been a stripped-down rink; and the $32 million project, preserving what voters asked for during the debt exclusion.
According to Municipal Skating Rink Building Committee Chair Mark Haley, the higher cost was fueled by myriad factors, including asbestos discovered under the concrete slab of the old building, complicating site work; materials such as concrete increasing in cost; and the design calling for more paved area to allow better emergency access, Haley said.
The discussion from Town Meeting members followed a distinct theme: No one loved the situation, but most argued they should build the rink facility voters were sold prior to the debt exclusion vote.
“I respect the will of the voters,” said Precinct 7 member Michael McNamara. “So, while I have concerns and personal reservations, I’m obligated by my voters to vote yes.”
Precinct 1 member Adam Dash also expressed support of the night’s main question.
“There is no alternative but to build the rink that we need, the rink the voters expect; but this is what the Kendall fund is for,” he said. “None of us is happy about this, but we’re adults and we do things we don’t like all the time.”
Precinct 8 Town Meeting member Stephen Rosales cited the reputational hit Belmont might take if the project is scaled back.
“This is more than a rink, it’s a piece of the community,” he said.
Nicole Dorn, a Town Meeting member in Precinct 1, summed up the general tone of the meeting.
“I understand the frustration a lot of us are feeling,” Dorn said. “But, this is about what is best for our town.”
The vote means the project can now move ahead on its current schedule. That’s important, Haley said, because delays are expensive.
According to a letter from Select Board Chair Roy Epstein to Town Meeting members, sent the Friday before the meeting, the total amount, including the money approved Monday night is $2.25 million. The Select Board added $150,000 to the request as a contingency to buffer any future overruns.
The expectation is that $150,000 will not be needed and will be returned to the town when the project is complete.
According to Haley, excavation is planned to begin this month. Concrete will be poured in late July or early August, and the steel prefabricated building will be delivered in mid-September.
“We are pushing for ice by Labor Day, 2025,” he wrote in an email. “With project completion by mid-October.”
