Needham’s Park and Recreation Commission on Nov. 24 told school officials it remains opposed to siting the proposed new Pollard Middle School at the DeFazio athletic complex, citing prolonged construction disruptions, field‑loss impacts and traffic concerns.

Michael O’Brien, chair of the Needham School Committee, presented a written offer for a land swap that would transfer roughly 9.8 acres to Parks & Recreation and leave about 5.5 acres under school jurisdiction at the Pollard site, while replacing Healy and East small fields and adding an additional field modeled on Founders Field. O’Brien said fencing and possible netting would be required at some elevations and that those costs would be included in the DiFazio option budget; he said a memorandum of understanding would follow if the proposal advanced.

Commissioners who spoke at length said the DeFazio option would cause major disruption to the town’s primary athletic complex. One commissioner said construction timelines cited in project materials ranged from about 31 to 45 months and that turf or grass fields could require additional recovery time before they could be reused, creating a multi‑year impact on youth, high‑school and adult programs. That speaker also cited line‑item estimates in the materials showing about $14.8 million–$15.0 million for new fields and playgrounds and referenced other site costs (traffic improvements and hazardous‑materials demolition) in the millions.

Another commissioner emphasized the complex’s role as a consolidated community hub — pavilion, shared parking and sight lines to multiple fields — and argued that splitting fields across sites would erode that community benefit. Commissioners also asked about permitting hurdles; a school representative said Route 135 is a state road and MassDOT approvals would be required for some work.

Two written statements from commissioners were read into the record. Commissioner Dina Hannigan urged preserving DeFazio, saying the site’s frequent, year‑round use and the traffic consequences on Dedham Avenue made the location unsuitable for a school. A second written comment, signed in the transcript as James (name appears variably as Rosenberg/Rosenbaum), similarly called DeFazio “the jewel of the town” and said a swap of lower‑quality parcels would not be in residents’ best interests.

After discussion the commissioners present agreed they did not prefer DeFazio as the Pollard site and asked that their position be conveyed at the evening’s all‑boards summit. No formal vote on a policy change or formal recommendation was recorded at this meeting.

Next steps: the commission will present its position at the all‑boards summit and continue to review cost and traffic analyses produced by school staff.