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Sudbury Planning Board continues Frank Feeley Field review after residents raise sledding-hill concerns
Summary
The Planning Board continued a public hearing on renovations to Frank Feeley Field at 200 Raymond Road after nearby residents warned that proposed fencing and grading would eliminate a popular sledding hill; the board cited drainage, ADA access and Conservation Commission buffer limits as key design constraints.
The Sudbury Planning Board on March 25 continued a public hearing on a proposed renovation of Frank Feeley Field at 200 Raymond Road after multiple neighbors told the board the plan would eliminate a popular sledding hill.
Project manager Kyle Rowan of Gale Associates summarized the proposal and permitting status, saying the applicant submitted the Site Plan Review and a Notice of Intent to the Conservation Commission. Rowan told the board the topsoil on site is 6 to 24 inches deep with a high clay content and compacted soils that cause standing water in spring, a condition the renovation aims to address.
The project’s stated goals are to extend ADA access to Field 2; improve drainage; add dugouts, a backstop and semi-permanent 36-seat bleachers; and install an irrigation system. Rowan offered cost-saving alternatives the board could consider, including removing a north walkway, omitting proposed dugout structures, eliminating a flat-panel drain and collector system, and narrowing the scope of irrigation work.
Director of Planning & Community Development Adam Burney told the board the Conservation Commission may require changes to the irrigation layout because "no irrigation [is] permitted within the 100-foot buffer zone." Finance Director/Assistant Town Manager Victor Garofalo said the DPW Parks and Grounds Division would be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the field and stormwater features.
Nearby residents raised recreational and neighborhood-impact concerns. Timothy Rasmussen (245 Raymond Road), Gail Walsh (236 Raymond Road), Tim Walsh (236 Raymond Road) and Patina Westerberg (239 Raymond Road) said the hill between the parking lot and lower field is used by neighborhood children for sledding and that the current plan — including fencing — would restrict or eliminate that use. Chair Stephen Garvin told residents a 6-foot fence would be too tall for that location and suggested leaving a significant gap or using a removable fence to accommodate sledders.
Clerk Ahnu Shah moved to continue the public hearing on the Site Plan and Stormwater Management Permit for 200 Raymond Road to the Planning Board meeting on April 8, 2026; Vice-Chair John Sugrue seconded. The motion passed unanimously, with recorded votes of Sugrue-aye, Roopenian-aye, Perlman-aye, Shah-aye and Garvin-aye.
Next steps noted by the board include further coordination with the Conservation Commission on irrigation limits within the 100-foot wetland buffer, refinement of the grading and drainage approach to address the clay soils and standing water, and additional outreach or design adjustments to preserve neighborhood recreation where feasible. The hearing will resume on April 8, 2026.
