The Parks Advisory Board on July 3 considered a $30,000 National Fitness Campaign grant that staff said is conditional on siting a fitness court at the town’s Trailhead location. Board members split over whether the Trailhead is the right site and directed staff to provide marked layouts so members can review the visual footprint before the town commits.

The matter matters because the grant offers a significant equipment discount but requires the specific Trailhead placement the campaign selected; board members said the chosen footprint could remove permanent green space near a playground and parking area.

Andrea Balboni, a parks staff member, said the campaign requested multiple sites and selected the Trailhead as the best fit for their engagement objectives. Staff said the grant provides roughly a $30,000 discount toward an overall project the board estimated at about $175,000, including site work, concrete and installation; those broader costs would be raised through grants and donations. A parks board member objected after walking the Trailhead and measuring the proposed court footprint, saying 38‑by‑38 feet of equipment plus additional group‑exercise space would “take away a lot of the green space” and that the board should consider alternate sites such as a 1.83‑acre parcel at Overlook.

Staff said the campaign requires notification by the end of the month. The board did not vote to accept or reject the grant; instead members asked staff to mark the proposed footprint on the Trailhead and the Overlook site so trustees and the public can view the scale before a final decision. Multiple board members emphasized that Parks Board approval is required for installations in town parks and that the item will also require Town Council approval.

Board members also discussed fundraising and a public‑art component that staff said would accompany the fitness court if the project moves forward. Staff said the town could pause the grant process and reapply later if necessary, but warned that pausing could delay installation and that the campaign might change site recommendations. The board asked staff to follow up with a marked site layout and to return the item to a future meeting for formal action.