Needham officials warn Pollard Middle School rebuild will remove Pollard fields for multiple seasons

Needham Park and Recreation officials told sports user groups that a proposed rebuild of Pollard Middle School on its current site would eliminate the school’s softball diamond and its multipurpose field for the duration of construction, likely beginning in about two years.

The meeting’s moderator said the School Committee and the Permanent Building and Construction Committee will seek funding for a new Pollard Middle School and that construction ‘‘will be built on the parcel of land where Pollard is right now.’’ The moderator added, ‘‘the softball skin in the multipurpose field at Pollard will be gone,’’ and that the work could take multiple seasons depending on whether the project is carried out in one or two phases.

Staff emphasized the impact will extend beyond youth softball. The moderator warned the loss will affect high school teams that use nearby fields for junior varsity baseball and track, and the Needham Soccer Club, which uses memorial-area parcels for tournaments. Because some construction laydown or contractor staging could use adjacent fields (the moderator cited Warner field as a nearby example), multiple user groups will likely feel scheduling pressure.

Parks and Recreation staff said no final decisions have been made. ‘‘Nothing has been committed to yet. Nothing has been decided,’’ the moderator said, describing the current stage as preliminary. Commissioners said they are exploring both temporary and permanent replacement options, and asked leagues and user groups to be flexible as staff identify short-term fields, staggered schedules or other accommodations.

Next steps: staff will continue to evaluate alternative field options, coordinate with school construction planners and communicate updates to user groups as plans for the Pollard site develop.