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Needham committee approves MOA for Warner Field after state flags Article 97 for geothermal work
Summary
Needham's Pool and Public Building Committee and School Building Committee approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to govern temporary use and restoration of Warner Field while Pollard Middle School work proceeds, after the state signaled that proposed geothermal wells may trigger Article 97 mitigation and legislative approvals.
The Pool and Public Building Committee voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that spells out how Warner Field will be used temporarily during construction of the Pollard Middle School project and how the town will restore the field afterward. Chair Richard Green moved the measure and the committee authorized the chair to execute and submit the MOA on behalf of PBBC and the School Building Committee.
Katie King, the project team manager, told the committee that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) raised a question about Article 97 in its schematic‑design review and that the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) advised the town that while temporary laydown use likely would not trigger Article 97, the proposed geothermal wells probably would. "Their guidance to us was to assume that the geothermal would fall under Article 97," King said, adding that the town is continuing conversations with EEA about how subsurface work should be valued for mitigation.
The MOA incorporates changes requested by the Park and Recreation Commission, including a provision limiting the offline period to not exceed five years and a requirement for quarterly PBBC check‑ins through the project manager. King said the Needham Conservation Commission and the Park and Recreation Commission both voted unanimous approval of the plan prior to the PBBC vote. Committee members pressed for written justification from the state explaining the Article 97 interpretation; one member said he found the state's position "a bit much" given the subterranean nature of the work and requested documentation.
King and the design team described potential mitigation pathways, citing the Brookline precedent for valuing underground rights (where assessed land value was divided among underground, surface and air rights). The project team said mitigation could be satisfied with project funds, town funds or improvements elsewhere to recreational facilities, and that MSBA reimbursement would not necessarily cover any mitigation uplift. The PBBC approved the MOA and directed staff to continue coordination with EEA and town officials on valuation and legislative steps.
