Recreation staff seeks staged resurfacing for aging Johnny Kelly courts; commission hears capital-plan update

Recreation staff told the Recreation Commission that resurfacing the town's oldest courts at Johnny Kelly Park—tennis, pickleball and basketball surfaces—was included in this year's capital submissions and described a staged approach to preserve court life.

The staff member said resurfacing work—repairing cracks, relining and repainting—can restore a court for about eight to 10 years, and that the oldest Johnny Kelly courts (installed in 2013) were due for attention after deferred maintenance. "If you have to do a reconstruction because the crack is over, at today's prices, you're probably looking at 4 or $500,000 to do it to do the inside of the four courts of Johnny Kelly," the staff member said, adding that resurfacing costs would be staggered so the department could address the oldest courts first.

The staff member said he had obtained budgetary quotes and included resurfacing in a 5–10 year capital plan; he urged a proactive approach to avoid more costly reactive work later. He also said he is checking whether the Community Preservation Committee funding and an owner's project manager requirement would apply to the project and planned to coordinate with administration and architects to move designs forward.

Commissioners acknowledged the need to stagger work, asked for timelines and noted that resurfacing delays have increased future costs. No vote was taken; the staff member said more details and cost estimates would follow.