Parks department proposes field fencing, playground upgrades and rebuilt Tom Nevers rink

Parks and Recreation staff told the Capital Program Committee on Oct. 23 that a set of park improvements — field fencing to reduce e-bike damage, a larger neighborhood playground at Winter Park, a replacement at Jetty's Playground, and reconstruction of the Tom Nevers rink — are priorities to protect assets and increase year‑round recreational access.

E-bike damage and field fencing: Charlie Palachi said maintenance crews are seeing recurring turf damage and divots caused by high-powered electric bicycles on athletic fields. "They find it fun to pin the front brake, boost the throttle, and do a rooster tail. And it leaves a nice ankle turning 4 inch by 6 inch trough," Palachi said, describing the damage. Staff said installing perimeter fencing at Delta and Tom Nevers fields and improved access control would reduce maintenance costs and player-safety risks caused by unauthorized e-bike use and off‑path riding.

Playground projects: Palachi described Winter Park as the largest neighborhood request and said the playground there has reached about 23 years of age with signs of structural wear. The Winter Park proposal would roughly double the play area, add a basketball half-court, expand parking and install more durable, ADA-compliant surfacing rather than sand. Jetty's Playground is proposed for replacement and relocation to a higher, non-dune area close to the existing parking and tennis courts; staff said that location avoids coastal-dune permitting issues and allows installation of an ADA surface and a larger, fenced play area.

Community reactions: Committee members and attendees debated the trade-offs between keeping Jetties' small, dune‑embedded charm and building a larger, fenced playground on a higher, more resilient site. One resident who spoke during discussion said the dune‑set playground had unique character and urged retaining that feel where possible. Staff responded that the current Jetties site is too small for a larger modern structure and that the proposed location would avoid ConCom permitting and flooding concerns while enabling a rubberized, ADA surface.

Tom Nevers rink and courts: Palachi described plans to reconstruct the old hockey rink area with new post-tension concrete, higher perimeter fencing and flexible court striping to accommodate tennis, pickleball and basketball. The design would use portable nets so the surface can shift between sports without permanent fixtures. The project is pitched as a way to increase utility at Tom Nevers and make it a more active destination year-round.

Funding and priorities: Staff said some requests were ranked lower in the committee’s scoring this year because other capital items (debris removal, larger equipment replacements) were prioritized. Committee members emphasized the visible community benefits of recreation investments and asked staff to highlight use metrics — Palachi noted roughly 7,000 booked hours of tennis and pickleball play at town courts this past summer — when seeking public support.

Ending: Palachi said staff will refine scopes and cost estimates and return with final figures; committee members asked for additional detail on fencing types, ADA surfacing and any operational impacts.