Needham’s Park and Recreation Commission told school and design officials it is not ready to endorse a proposed jurisdictional transfer that would give the school committee 6.6 acres at the Rosemary complex as part of a plan to build Pollard Middle School at the DeFazio site.

Commission staff summarized recent working‑group meetings and the timeline: the school committee may vote on sites in late November and the town must select a site for the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) calendar by Dec. 18. Designers presented a conceptual trade — an acre‑for‑acre swap that would move 6.6 acres of school‑owned land into Park & Rec jurisdiction in exchange for the portion the school would need — but commissioners said the exchange, as presented, would leave Needham with fewer or lower‑quality playing fields.

Commissioners cited several concerns: the DeFazio fields have known groundwater and stormwater issues, construction and remediation would disrupt nearly all town fields for multiple years, and the commission could be asked to accept replacement fields that may not match current quality. One commissioner summarized the sentiment bluntly: the fields at DeFazio are a “Cadillac,” and a proposed swap felt like exchanging it for a lower‑quality option.

When a designer asked whether the commission had consensus to draft a memorandum of understanding to transfer jurisdiction, the commission chair and several members responded simply, “No.” Commissioners asked staff to boost outreach to user groups and the public; staff will attend a Nov. 17 public comment session and circulate collected emails and concerns to the school committee and select board.

What happens next: Park & Rec will not sign off on a jurisdictional transfer absent more detailed designs, clear guarantees about replacement field quality and an outreach campaign; staff will collect and share public comments before the school committee’s decision window.