Design team shows three concepts for Deerfield Parkway athletic park; public input continues

Designers working for the city presented three conceptual layouts for the planned active athletic park on Deerfield Parkway at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting on March 20, and invited further public comment before the city narrows a preferred plan.

The designs, prepared by Lowe's Design in coordination with Milton Public Works, use site data and public and steering-committee input gathered through online surveys and two public meetings. The design team reported more than 450 total survey responses and said walking trails, playgrounds and off-leash dog areas were frequent priorities; the steering committee identified a baseline need for four baseball diamonds and at least two multipurpose rectangle fields.

Whit Alexander, principal at Lowe's Design, walked the board through three alternatives that share core “bones” — an entrance and internal drive from Deerfield Parkway, a four-diamond baseball complex requiring terracing and retaining walls, and two rectangle multipurpose fields sized at a minimum of 180 by 360 feet (the steering committee said the preferred minimum was 210 by 360 feet). The site drops roughly 40 feet in elevation, creating areas where retaining walls of 5–10 feet are likely and where stormwater detention will require careful engineering.

Design differences focus on amenities in the lower, wooded corner. Concept 1 emphasizes a playground, pavilion, open lawn and splash pad; Concept 2 increases on-site parking; Concept 3 sacrifices the splash pad and open lawn in favor of eight pickleball courts and a larger infield (two 250-foot diamonds instead of two 225-foot diamonds). The team showed options to place underground detention cells under practice turf (reducing visible ponds) or to use above-ground basins; staff said underground detention can cost roughly three to four times more than above-ground basins.

Board members and public commenters asked about field orientation and sun exposure, parking capacity and circulation, playground proximity to fields (parents asked for playgrounds closer to games), and the potential for a second exit/exit-only driveway to ease peak egress. The design team said the road location is constrained by where turn lanes can be constructed on Deerfield and by anticipated future redevelopment at the Fry’s site across the road, which the city expects to require an access connection.

Public commenters included James Pruitt, who urged consideration of sun angles and drainage, and Rob Teeman, president of Hopewell Baseball, who asked that a playground be located near the baseball complex to keep siblings close to family groups during games.

The city will hold a second Deerfield public input open house on Tuesday, March 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the courtroom of the Public Safety Complex on State Route 9; the format will be open-house style with three display boards and comment cards.

No formal decision or vote was taken; the design team will refine concepts, estimate costs, and present a preliminary master plan for further review and a future council decision.