Parks commission: Delta fields bids exceed appropriation; staff to rework specs, seek town‑meeting funds

The Parks and Recreation Commission heard that bids for the Delta/Nobody fields project came in higher than the appropriation and that staff will rework specifications and rebid the work with prioritized alternates.

"We put the Nobody Fields project out to bid and unfortunately the numbers came back higher than the appropriation we have," Charlie, who delivered the parks report, said. He said staff will separate the work into priority items — focusing first on the new field and its irrigation system and offering items such as sports lighting and secondary irrigation as bid alternates.

Why it matters: the project underpins several recreation priorities — new playing fields, a playground installation and repairs to beach‑side park structures — and will require new funding if the revised bids still exceed the town's earlier appropriation. Charlie told commissioners that playground structures are on site and that contractors cleared substantial debris at Tom Never Field as part of Phase 1.

Staff highlighted several technical and budget details. The initial bid included a higher‑spec irrigation package than staff now expects to keep; sports lighting and heavy concrete footings accounted for a large share of the excess. Charlie said the first bid package will prioritize the natural‑grass playing field and playground installation so the town can complete the most critical items within available funds.

Ground‑penetrating radar was completed over the area proposed for Phase 2, Charlie said, and the new subsurface information should allow staff to lower the Phase 2 funding request. "The original ask was $8 million; I'm expecting that to come down quite a bit now that we actually know what's in the ground," he said.

The report also described a small unexploded‑ordnance (UXO) effort at the site. Charlie said teams found two devices; both were turned over to state police. He described the UXO work as "very tedious," requiring specialized detection and staged excavation to clear shallow anomalies before coastal erosion could expose them.

Commissioners asked whether the key field surface will be natural grass or turf; Charlie confirmed the project as scoped through town meeting called for a natural grass field. Commissioners warned that a possible Board of Health discussion about a turf ban could complicate future decisions — but staff said any existing turf would be grandfathered if the board adopted a ban focused on a particular stadium.

What's next: staff will refine specifications, sequence the work into prioritized bid alternates, and prepare a revised cost estimate for town meeting. If the Board of Health advances a turf restriction, the commission expects a public hearing and may send representatives to comment.

The commission did not vote on the capital ask during this meeting; next steps are a revised bid package and a formal town‑meeting funding request.