Somerville desperately needs more and better recreational fields to support the growing demand from ALL citizens - toddlers, youth athletics, scholastic sports, and adult leagues.
We demand Somerville officials follow the recommendations of the many consultants hired over the past 5 years. Specifically, officials must modify the current $9.4 million plan for renovation of Lincoln Park by converting the proposed U12 grass field to a synthetic turf field with organic in-fill. This small modification would ensure access to a high quality, durable, all-weather athletic field for 100% of Somerville citizens.
As many of you know, most grass fields in Somerville (except for Trum Field, which is not available for general use) are severely overused and are borderline dangerous for recreational use. By proposing a single grass field at Lincoln Park, the city must dramatically reduce play at one of the largest, most convenient and most used athletic facilities in Somerville. Their response to this exacerbation of the severe shortage of recreational space in Somerville: Trust us. We will work something out... If the city is about to allocate nearly $10 million for the renovation of Lincoln Park, it should at the very least, take steps to minimize the severe shortage of athletic fields by incorporating a single durable all-weather field. If other solutions emerge in the future, that is obviously welcome and may help keep up with growing demand, but we should not sacrifice current space based on a hope about future solutions.
Somerville can't afford to make huge investments in public space that exacerbate the system of rationing and limited access that exists today. We need 15% of Lincoln Park to be available for 100% of Somerville. 