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Rec groups seek town support to cover Swayze Gym maintenance as schools consider alternatives
Summary
User groups who lease Swayze Gym propose shared maintenance contributions (Sanborn Rec Basketball $5,000; baseball $2,500) and asked Newton Rec to consider $2,500 for one year; board recommended rec consider the request and asked the school district to explore use of an underused middle-school gym as an alternative.
A presenter described the Swayze Gym arrangement (owned by Chindberg Properties, leased to the school district for $1 per year) and asked the town and Newton Rec to consider contributing toward a $40,000 maintenance cap for the facility. Sanborn Recreational Basketball offered $5,000 toward maintenance, baseball pledged $2,500, and other partners committed smaller amounts; the presenter said Newton accounts for roughly 54.2% of the participants for certain programs.
Board members discussed alternatives including scheduling at a district-owned middle-school gym that the board was told is often unused and could reduce recurring maintenance costs. The board recommended that the Rec Commission consider a one-year $2,500 contribution from the recreational revolving fund while the school district evaluates long-term options; the recommendation passed by voice vote. "We do not have any other facilities that we can use for indoor rec baseball or for rec basketball at all," the presenter said, urging the board to keep options open while seeking a longer-term solution.
