School committee approves Marshall Simons field plan to file notice of intent with conservation

The Burlington School Committee voted unanimously Monday to forward the Marshall Simons field plan to the town conservation authority by filing a notice of intent, clearing a step needed to move the project toward bidding.

A presenter identified only as Jeremy oriented the committee to a graphic of the proposed layout, describing the wetland boundary and a revised footprint that fits two playable turf areas within the buildable zone. “You’ll notice the blue line ... That’s the wetland area,” Jeremy said during the presentation. He said the plan was adjusted so the two fields would fit within the buildable area “and does not require any variances.”

The revised design reduces what had been envisioned as two full-size turf fields to one larger and one smaller field because of wetland restrictions. Bob, a project staff member who answered technical and scheduling questions, said the layout includes new and existing lighting poles and scoreboard provisions and a paved terrace with accessible walkways and parking adjacent to the building. He said the design includes an emergency access route from Brushfield and that the walkway system ties into the existing pedestrian route on Brushfield.

The project team told the committee the construction timeline would depend on the bid and weather; if the district goes to bid in late winter, breaking ground could occur in March or April with a roughly 90- to 120-day construction window. “Three to four months was the estimate,” Bob said. On that schedule, he said the fields could be ready for the start of the school year, barring major scheduling conflicts.

Budget and amenities

Jeremy said the project is currently estimated to come in under budget. “So right now it’s definitely estimated to be under budget more than a half a million dollars,” he said, adding that the number is a conservative estimate and that staff will have a more precise figure after finalizing details and receiving bids. Committee members asked whether the under-run could pay for additional amenities such as permanent bathroom facilities; staff said the project has not been designed to include new bathrooms and that adding them would require design work and a funding reallocation approved at a future town meeting.

Committee members also asked about spectator amenities and access. Bob said there are two exterior single-stall restrooms on the side of the building that are not open 24 hours and require a key when the building is closed; there are no new bathrooms planned on the field itself in this project. He said building access for restrooms during nights or weekend events would require scheduling the building to be open.

Vote and next steps

Committee member Jeremy moved to send the Marshall Simons field plan to conservation for the notice of intent. A committee member seconded the motion (the transcript records a second but does not name the seconder). The vote was recorded as 5–0 in favor: Missus Wojciech — yes; Miss Bond — yes; Miss Monaco — yes; Mister Brooks — aye; Chair — aye. The motion carried.

Filing the notice of intent with the town conservation authority is expected to allow the district to proceed toward the bid process. Staff said they will return with final budget figures and timeline updates after design finalization and the bid process begins.

Why it matters

The Marshall Simons project reshapes the district’s athletic footprint while responding to wetland constraints. The reduced full-size field configuration aims to preserve playability and scheduling flexibility, incorporate lighting and scoreboards, and phase future turf replacements to spread lifecycle costs. Key outstanding issues the committee flagged include final budget numbers, whether remaining funds could be used for restrooms or other amenities, and coordination for public access to interior facilities when events are held outside normal school hours.