Milton council reviews two Deerfield Active Park designs, prioritizes fields and flexibility on amenities

Milton City Council members on April 28 reviewed two conceptual designs for Deerfield Active Park and directed staff to prioritize field capacity while keeping flexibility on some auxiliary amenities such as pickleball and a splash pad.

Parks and Recreation Director Tom McElveen and Deputy Director of Public Works Rob Del Ross presented concepts created by consultant Loos Designs that respond to a parks master plan and public input. The concepts both show four diamond-shaped baseball/softball fields clustered on the flattest portion of the 80-foot sloped site, plus two rectangular multipurpose fields intended to serve soccer, lacrosse and other rectangular-field sports.

The council and staff framed the issue as a capacity and engineering trade-off. "We showed the need for those two multipurpose rectangles and four baseball softball diamonds that will support our recreation programming for years to come," McElveen said, summarizing staff analysis of registrations and ideal field capacity. Del Ross noted site constraints and engineering implications: "There's 80 feet of fall on this property," and said terracing and retaining walls would be required; engineering work so far indicates "we're not anticipating needing walls higher than 10 feet."

Why it matters: Milton has a documented shortage of playable field space. Staff said the proposed layouts are intended to meet current program needs and future growth without overbuilding other park features that would reduce field capacity.

Key details and trade-offs

- Field program: Both concepts provide four diamond fields and two rectangular multipurpose fields; field-radius options discussed included multiple 225-foot fields and one or two larger 275-foot fields to accommodate older age groups. Staff said artificial turf is planned for infields and outfields to maximize multiuse.

- Public input: Staff reported roughly 1,000 survey views and about 450 respondents, with walking trails ranking highest among ancillary amenities, followed by playgrounds and pickleball courts.

- Stormwater and detention: Consultants proposed placing underground stormwater detention beneath turf in one option to increase usable surface area. Staff and council discussed cost and constructability; staff said covering detention is workable but more expensive. One councilor said covering detention now is preferable because it is much harder to add later.

- Pickleball and splash pad: Pickleball was popular in public input but raises compatibility concerns (noise, lighting). Councilors and staff favored leaving pickleball in the plan but not locking it to the underground detention location until engineering and budget numbers are clear. Staff suggested showing pickleball in the concept but keeping the option to move or phase it.

- Playground and spectator experience: Park staff and councilors pressed to include a playground near the clustered diamonds so parents and small children can be close to games. Staff said a small, inclusive playground could fit inside the diamond complex or nearby with netting and sightlines planned.

- Parking: Staff said the park requires roughly 400 parking spaces to fully support the fields; providing that much on-site would reduce field area. To avoid losing fields, staff said they are negotiating a short-term shared-parking agreement with the Old City Hall Complex and planned to bring that agreement to council in May.

Council direction and next steps

Councilors emphasized getting the fields right above all. One council member summarized the consensus: prioritize the field sizes and usability first, then add amenities if budget and site engineering permit. Staff were asked to return with refined site plans, cost estimates and the shared-parking agreement for PRAB and then council review. If approved, staff estimated construction documents later in 2025 and potential construction beginning spring 2026.

Public comments

Ben Croft, speaking for Hopewell Baseball, urged the council to "keep the plans ... baseball dedicated, facility and not multi use," citing safety and player experience.

Ending

Staff will refine the designs and budgets, return to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and present a recommendation to council in June. The council did not take a formal vote on a specific concept at the April 28 meeting.