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Woburn committee finds Gillis Field no longer needed for education, will notify City Council
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Summary
The Woburn School Committee voted that Gillis Field at Reeves Elementary is no longer needed for education use and will notify the City Council, clearing a procedural step that allows the city to pursue siting for a proposed Fire Station 5 at the Reeves site.
The Woburn School Committee voted that Gillis Field — the athletic field on the grounds of Reeves Elementary School — is no longer needed for education purposes and instructed staff to notify the Woburn City Council of that determination.
Why it matters: The determination clears a procedural step that allows the city to pursue siting and permitting for a replacement Fire Station 5 at the Reeves site. Committee members stressed that approving the notice is not the same as approving construction plans; they repeatedly sought binding mitigation measures to protect students during construction and operations.
The vote followed about an hour of public comment and committee deliberation. Resident Corey Popolo, a direct abutter, urged the committee to preserve the school’s green space and said the district should ‘‘prioritize preserving this land for future educational and community use.’’ The chair noted the committee’s responsibility under Massachusetts General Laws c.40, §15A to declare whether land remains required for education.
Members said they support modernizing the city’s fire facilities but raised recurring concerns during the discussion: traffic at pick-up and drop-off, noise and diesel-exhaust exposure for young children, construction impacts (including timing of blasting and the need for a dedicated construction entrance), and ongoing communication with school facilities staff and parents.
Several speakers pointed to local precedent for a fire station near schools without recorded safety incidents; a press release read into the record by a city liaison quoted Sean Wheatlow, president of Woburn Firefighters Local 971, saying the union ‘‘proudly announces its full support for placing the city’s new Station 5 at the Reeves Elementary School’’ and arguing the site offers good response times and cost advantages.
After debate, the committee passed two related motions by voice vote: (1) to determine Gillis Field is no longer used for educational purposes and notify the City Council, and (2) to authorize the committee chair and/or the superintendent to participate in special-permit hearings to press for construction and operational mitigations that protect Reeves students and neighbors.
What comes next: The committee chair said she will inform the City Council of the finding and the district will seek a seat at permitting and special-permit proceedings to advocate for construction entrances, limits on noisy work during school hours, sound mitigation, and air-quality protections. The school committee’s vote does not itself approve construction or final site plans; those remain subject to municipal land-use and permitting processes.
Who said it: ‘‘This decision today is about the students of school property, student safety, and long-term planning for the community. We can support firefighters and also support the neighborhood,’’ resident Corey Popolo said during public comment. Committee members urged ‘‘continued attention to mitigation and involvement of facilities staff’’ during permitting discussions.
Ending: The committee’s determination is a procedural milestone: it shifts ownership authority to the City Council for land-use decisions but preserves the school department’s ability to appear at hearings and negotiate protections for students during construction and operation of a potential new fire station.
