LETTER: Ongoing Concerns – Parks, Recreation and Athletic Facilities

To: Watertown Parks and Recreation Subcommittee

For the past several months, I have been active as a resident to continue monitoring of items related to Parks, Recreation and Athletics for the Town of Watertown. More specifically, focusing on our recreation and athletic facilities as well as the policies which guide their use.

I have attended meetings, shared documents, discussed issues by phone, email and texts with different levels of leadership, presented at the Open Forum time frame at the Council, School Committee as well as sharing major issues with the Commission on Disability, Traffic Commission and to your Parks and Recreation subcommittee.

I have and will continue to be respectful, yet enthusiastic / determined in regard to this passion I have in hopes of making sure the leadership of Watertown makes the best decisions, is honest, informed, transparent, and eƯective with regards to our Recreation, Athletic and Park Facilities. Certainly, there have been many positive accomplishments over the years, but there have been many missteps, omissions, and poor decisions as well.

Unfortunately, I have been less than impressed to what I see, read, and hear relative to decisions
in regard to our recreational facilities and have been quite candidly annoyed with the lack of specific responses to a good number of my questions and concerns. In this document, I will focus on my concerns with the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee and will identify the multiple concerns in detail. However, each member of leadership who has been involved should take note as each of you bears a responsibility.

As identified in multiple previous communications, I have been disappointed with many aspects of the subcommittee actions, specifically with regard to the Casey Park renovation project and currently with the last two meetings pertaining to the field lights at the Victory Field Stadium.
The first mistake the Town made was 11 years ago when only half of the renovation plan was
approved at Casey Park. Instead of completing the entire park, the Town chose just to do the
tennis courts, multipurpose rink, and court lights.

Years later, the 2nd phase of the Casey Park renovation plan (which included the youth baseball
field, LED lights and accessibility improvements) was vetted, and at a 90% design plan. For some
reason, the Park and Recreation subcommittee got involved and held a meeting. Unfortunately, the subcommittee recommendation to the council was that the plan should be terminated. I am
still not sure why, as the renovation could have moved forward without the batting tunnel and
bathroom which was a concern to some for some reason.

From my understanding the Casey Park renovation project is slated for 2030 at the earliest and
since the renovation is not in the immediate future, the safety fencing in front of the players
bench is being improved to protect our players and coaches. I support the change in the fencing
structure, but this is an extra cost to our residents which would have been done during the
renovation.

In the last two Park and Recreation subcommittee meetings, another nonissue was created because a few residents and a few in leadership are not interested in supporting health and wellness, both physical, mental, and social, for those who utilize the Victory Field complex, especially at night. This includes our formal users (school athletics, youth organizations, and recreation department) and our informal users who need or enjoy visiting the Victory Complex for their leisure, for a workout, meet up with friends or play informal games.

Please remember, Watertown does not have a recreational facility in our Town, and our Victory
Field Complex is the place to be and the home for formal in informal activities for our residents.

Below are the core issues I want to share and also will make a recommendation to alleviate some of the problems. I continue to be upset with this latest attack on those who enjoy participating in healthy behaviors at our recreational and athletic venues, specifically the Victory Field Complex.

• Leadership has failed to identify and appreciate that the renovation of Victory Field – Phase I completed in 2011 has made an enormous positive impact on field accessibility for our residents for use throughout the year (weather permitting). Before 2011, the only groups who used Victory Field were formal and organized football and baseball programs for the most part and the lights were only used for night games. Now, this Victory Field Complex is open to all who want to recreate on a formal and informal basis.
• “There is nothing to see here.” Similar to the Casey Field renovation meetings, I am not sure why the Park and Recreation subcommittee decided to meet on this issue again. Attendance of both meetings was minimal and those who sent email concerns were not shared with the general public that I could see. I could not attend the second meeting, and I am hopeful the subcommittee realized that changes were not needed, and lights would remain on to 10:00pm (weather permitting) during the months of March to November and regulated on a daily basis during December, January and February.
• I was very upset that the subcommittee did not know that a policy document “Field and Court Lighting – Historical and Guidelines – 2018” was prepared by the recreation department which was vetted and approved by leadership as a result of meetings regarding the lights during that time. Most of the information requested at the February 13, 2025, meeting was included in this document.
• If leadership wants to make recommendations and decisions, it is important to be informed, do their homework, be honest and listen to those who are in the field. I was distressed to listen to misinformation, false narratives, and the like by leadership to support their case to limit the use of the lights.
• For instance, the stadium lights were never on until 12:00am, and only 6 times till 10:15pm during January 1, 2024, to March 1, 2025. I am still waiting for a retraction for that statement. I agree that the lights should never be on past 10:00pm, other than when graduation cleanup is happening.
• Please include the “Musco Light Usage Document” in the next committee and council minutes. This is a truthful accurate record of when the lights were turned on and were shut off on any day. This document can be prepared for any field or court owned by Watertown.
• I think the objective of saving money is important and think finding out the cost of use of the lights is important, but the Town should do this for all of our lights that are supported by tax dollars. How much do the lights in the square cost or the parking lot behind CVS for example? I enjoy the square lights and understand the need for parking lot lights but just feel that consistency is important.
• If the Town and leadership are so interested in saving money, they should not delay projects which should have been completed much earlier or use, install the most effective / efficient systems. For instance, if the Victory Field Phase II renovation project was built in 2016, it would have cost the Town at most 4 million dollars and now the current estimate is 11 million dollars. Even at 11 million dollars, this renovation plan will miss its mark and not meet the wants and needs of its users.
• The recreation department made a recommendation to leadership a couple of years ago to retrofit the victory stadium lights to LEDs to make them more efficient and effective, allowing multiple zoning and dimming, but it was denied. There is still time to install them as part of phase II for approximately $600,000. I think it would be worth the investment.
• The recreation department also recommended installing security / surveillance cameras for the purpose of keeping an eye on the facility. This would also let the recreation department monitor the field in case a park ranger was not available to work the evening and evaluate usage. This was denied as well.
• The schools have more cameras in and out of their schools, so I am not sure why cameras are not installed at our recreation and athletic facilities, especially our high use ones. The camera protects the safety of our patrons and gives timely and accurate information if needed.
• Some in leadership try to say that the Victory stadium lights currently impact the neighbor’s by shining directly into their homes. This certainly is another false statement to support their narrative. Please take a ride / walk to the Victory Complex at night and look at what is around the field. There are three houses located on Orchard Street that are
  minimally impacted. However, the DPW is on one side, Whitney Hill on the other and the oval / track and courts are on the other. Of course you can see the lights on 80 ft poles from afar, but they are certainly not shining into homes.
• I do agree that the flood lights on Marion Road and lighting on the courts are problematic, but I would put that blame on the neighbors who helped force a delay in Phase II during the infamous AD Hoc committee meetings. If phase II were built in 2016 as planned, the lights on the courts and road would have been replaced by more effective, focused and more efficient lighting.
• Casey Park field light equipment is old, ineffective, and costly from an electrical use or repair perspective. If leadership was truly interested in cost savings, why was this project scrapped for all practical purposes? LED lights at Casey Park would include less poles, be dark sky compliant, be safer, more focused on the field, less costly and would allow for
  different levels lighting.
• I also agree that during the winter months, December, January and February, the stadium lights should be monitored on a daily basis, not put on at all, or limited for time based on weather conditions. This was made it very clear in the Field and Court Lighting – Historical and Guidelines – 2018. Please read and utilize this as a resource.
• The minutes are not accurate and not complete from the Committee Report of 2 13 25 and presented on March 11, 2025, to the council. I never said “but that is not possible with the current Musco Halogen lights” as that is not true. A retraction is requested.

Thanks to the efforts of the recreation department all field and court lights can be controlled by the Musco system, regardless of the type of lights. The Musco system allows the lights to be controlled remotely by computer, cell phone or call. Although the minutes did include the Field and Court Lighting – Historical and Guidelines – 2018, this was not mentioned in the minutes as part of my comments.

• The committee minutes report includes “several residents” in some of their rationale. I would be interested in seeing the emails / comments and by whom as part of the public record. Who are these people and what are their motives?
• Please stop listening to the bullies who come to every meeting or are on zoom who claim they are experts in all facets of the Town’s business.
• The courts and field lights schedule, and guidelines are different and should be treated as such. It is fine to have the users of the courts to control the court lights by pressing the button, but it is not best practice, sensible to have them control of the fields. It does not have in other municipalities in the region.
• There is another error in the minutes in the paragraph beginning with “Staff explained …” If the committee is going to have minutes, the minutes have to be accurate, complete, non- bias. If the council is going to accept / approve the minutes, then they need to make sure the minutes are a legitimate, honest summary of the meeting. My hope and expectation that these minutes will be redone, and the council will reevaluate the adjusted minutes. I attended this meeting and certainly this document is full of misinformation and omissions.

In terms of the recreation director’s investigative to do list, I have some comments.

• We have no control when BBN turns on the lights on its field and why would you go all the way to the far east end to play if you live on Orchard Street or near there?
• Free play is not planned, some people will make a choice to head down to victory at the last minute or call some friends. Who are they going to reach out to at 8:20 at night to turn on the lights, especially on the weekend?
• Do you know what the two zones control? How about if you want to hit in the batting tunnel and that zone is not on?
• As identified, lights should be set for 10:00 other than in December, January and February.

As part of this document, I wanted to be helpful and hopeful that this can elicit some changes in some of the current projects, their time frames and the amenities which are included. I am also hopeful that the Park and Recreation Subcommittee can be viewed as an advocate for our Recreation Department and Parks Department of the DPW as opposed to a subcommittee who is not supporting these departments and not understanding what each of them do, how they do it and who does it.

The Town is very fortunate to have Ernie Thebado as its Director of Recreation and Bob Dirico and its Parks Supervisor. Both are excellent at their jobs and committed to their department and craft. Please support their efforts.

Here are some recommended action plans as well as questions to be addressed for the Park and Recreation subcommittee and other councils, committees, commissions, and individuals in leadership roles who work with or have oversight.

• Get to know the recreation and parks departments on many levels. Meet the staff, discuss
  their goals and objectives, get to know the programs that are offered, the systems / timeframes in place to take care of the fields for example.

Be more involved in the CIP Process and not rubber stamp the managers requests and the CIP recommendations. As I have identified, there are many concerns in this year’s CIP plan.

• Why is the construction of the 6 pickleball courts at Filippello Court delayed when such a renovation was vetted extensively, approved by 40 residents in a meeting and would support a huge increase in pickleball play and would support our recreation department’s pickleball program. Having a pickleball only facility would alleviate the need to use the Town’s tennis courts, thus avoiding the conflict between our tennis and pickleball participants.
• Why is the life saving measure of outdoor AEDs in every recreation facility not being completed this year as opposed to spreading it out over 5 years. The cost is minimal, and the lifesaving opportunity is priceless.
• Why was the Casey Park renovation and Saltonstall Park tot renovation delayed when both projects were at 90% and both facilities are in major need of renovation and repair. How can we get them moved up?
• Why was the installation of cameras in the Victory Field Stadium area removed from the CIP? The schools have multiple line items for cameras and have many cameras inside and outside their schools.
• Why are there no plans to install cameras, stronger wifi and cell phone replicators in the AD HOC renovation plan?
• Is the subcommittee not concerned with the lack of attentiveness to our potential ADA violation in regard to the elevator at Victory and the potential Title IX violation with the field house. The CIP has again delayed phase III for Victory and these items are protected by laws by the federal and state government which can get involved in evaluation of such issues. This is not only a potential legal matter, but an ethical, fairness and equity issue.
• I would ask the subcommittee to view the facilities where there are fields and courts with lights (maybe at night) and determine if the trees are blocking the lights from illuminating the field or court. Please start with Filippello Park on both the Grove side and Arlington Street side.
• Why is How Park Phase II in the CIP and why did it jump many projects that were already in the mix.
• Please get involved in the Senior Center / Recreation Complex, The Town needs such a complex.
• Retrofit the stadium lights to LED’s as part of the Phase II renovation.
• o Why is the amplified sound rule different for Victory Field users than users of other recreational facilities? Recommend a formal sound system to be installed for use at Victory diamond as part of the phase III plan or before.
• Since the publication of the Victory AD HOC committee recommendation, all of the leadership, especially a couple of city counselors, were adamant that no changes are to be made to the recommendations (This is awful posture). However there have been some changes to the plan! How does this happen? Can you help me understand this flip in posture and inconsistency?
• How many days (so early in the season have the natural grass fields been closed), close to 10 already. Not installing an artificial turf field in the Victory Field oval is borderline incompetence and will certainly impact negatively on use especially since playing time on this field will increase because of the installation of the field lights.
• It is a mistake to take out the pole vault in the AD HOC renovation plan.
• This decision reminds me of the decision not to accept our recommendation to build the Hosmer School and Cunniff School Gym as big as the Middle School Gym.
• Another major issue which is being ignored by leadership is the parking, circulation, and accessibility plan which is included in the Victory AD HOC plan. This is another head scratcher which will negatively impact safety, functionality, and accessibility at Victory. If the current plan is built, there will be four less parking spots at Victory and vehicle circulation will be limited. If the 2014 plan is used, 28 additional parking spots will be created, and the circulation will allow buses and fire trucks to turn around and park.
• One in leadership said that if 2014 was instituted, 1 acre of open space will be lost. This is not true and an example of a false narrative to support and rationalize a decision.

If you took the time to read this throughout, I am certainly grateful. Yes, this is a lot, but I wanted to reach out to express my opinion in hopes there can be some reconsideration.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, comments clarifications on any thing that was presented in these documents.

I would certainly appreciate and expect some response from the leadership to my questions as
part of your responsibility to your public.

Regards,
Peter Centola
Former Recreation Director