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Home My WebLink About2020-03-10 Birch Meadow Working Group Minutes ACTIVITAS landscape architecture civil engineering MEETING NOTES Subject: Design Kick-off Meeting No. 1 Project: Town of Reading-Birch Meadow Master Plan Project No. 20009.00 Issue Date: 3 April 2020 Meeting Date: 10 March 2020 Prepared By: Stephen Crisafulli, Landscape Architect Affendees: Jean,Town Administration Kevin Bohmiller, Community Services Richard Hand, Recreation Committee Jane Kinsella, DPW Chuck Tirone, Conservation Commission Tom Zaya, Athletics Shannon Fratto, Recreation Committee Genevieve Horente, Recreation Ryan Percival, Engineering Stephen Crisafulli,Activitas Mark Novak, Activitas Jane Kinsella, DPW Distribution: All Present (v.,vra0l GENERAL 1.0.01 The following Meeting Notes are compiled from a scheduled design kick-off meeting with the Town of Reading (TOR) and Activitas, (ACT) for the Birch Meadow Master Plan Project. 1.0.02 The items and comments are not listed in order of the discussion, but are grouped by topic for easier reference and interpretation. DISCUSSION ITEM NO. ACTION ITEM(New items in italics) BY/DUE 1.1.01 INTRODUCTIONS/SCHEDULE 1.1.01.0 Following introductions, the group discussed schedule. • The intent is to have a phase of the proposed plan to be included in the Towns Capital Plan and to be voted on at Town Meeting • warrants need to be submitted by the end of September • Town Meeting is scheduled for November • Ideally the master plan study is completed by Labor Day, 9/7/20 I.1.01.15 ACT Due to concems for community meetings during the summer months, the first community meeting would be targeted for sometime in May. UPDATE.,Due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic, this will affect community meetings and potentially impact schedule. activitas.com 70 Milton Street I Dedham. Massachusetts 1 02026-2915 (78 11 326-2600 Meeting Notes Town ACT I V I TAS Down of Readinge Birch Meadow Master Plan Design Kickoff Meeting No.1 Page 2 of 4 REM NO. I ACTION ITEM(Nen Nems M Nalics) BY/DUE 1.1.01.c All correspondence from ACT will flow through Genevieve and Ryan and be dispersed accordingly. 1.1.02 USER GROUPS 1.1.02.a The TOR identified the following user groups: • High School Sports o Cross Country(recently started running at Town Forest) o PE Department(ropes course) • Youth Lacrosse • Youth Soccer • Little League • Softball • Men's/Adult Coed Softball • Friends of Reading Recreation • Tennis • Pickleball • Babe Ruth Baseball • YMCA • Flag Football • Pop Warner • Field Hockey • Trails Committee/Conservation • Schools • Facilities • DPW • Parks (tree work) • Community/Passive Activities o Ice Skating o Walking o Running o Playground 1.1.03 S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS (STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES, &THREATS) 1.1.03.a Strengths: • Two synthetic turf (Stadium Feld and Turf 2) • Lighted fields (lighted softball) ACT Location-central to town • Multi-purpose athletic use/year-round • Good utility infrastructure (water,sewer, electric) • Maintenance is good • Youth organizations help with maintenance/funding • Wayfinding • Mature trees octwitos.com 70 Milton Street I Dedham. Massachusetts 1 02026-2915 1181) 326-2600 Meeting Notes 10 March 2020 A C T I V I T A S Town of ReadingBirch Meadow Master Plan Design Gck-off Meeting No. I Page 3 of d ITEM NO. ACTION ITEM(New items In Iii BY/DUE 1.1.03.b Weaknesses: • Located in residential neighborhood • Imagination station lot (disorganized, bad condition) • Traffic-circulation and parking is Conflict of interest • Softball shack in disrepair • Lack of storage • Lighting poor at softball/multi-purpose but adequate at synthetic fields • Lack of permanent restrooms/concessions • Mul i-purpose court is in bad shape • Lack of pickle ball and street hockey spaces 1.1.03.c Opportunities: • Huggins property for education and passive experiences (adjacent to Camp Rice Moody) o Opportunity for educational signage • Coolidge Field (behind the middle school) • Castine Field (currently useful for a very small percentage of the year for ice skating (winter) and recreational use (late summer)- weather permitting • Running and walking paths are needed • Safety enhancements • Improve on accepted standards 1.1.03.d TOR Threats: Neighbors ACT/ • Vandalism NV5 Soffball/multi-purpose field layout • Fireworks • Level of maintenance • Open access • Security • Manual operation of lights 1.1.04 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 1.1.04.0 ACT suggested that the TOR create a link on the Town website to: • Post project updates • Post project materials • Allow signup for email blasts Other ways of informing the public include: • Social media posts/campaign • Coordination via Town Recreation Magazine aciwitos.com 70 Milton Street I Dedham, Massachusetts 1 02026-2915 11811 326-2600 Meeting Notes 10 March 2a2a ReadingBirch Meadow Master Plan � CT I V I TAa Design Kick-off Meeting No.1 Page 4 of 4 NEM NO. ACTION ITEM(Now Items In roBcs) i DUE 1.1.04.b For user group feedback ACT suggested a series of interviews, grouped together accordingly for 45 minute sessions. Due to the heavier use by the schools/athletics, a separate meeting would be justified for them. 1.1.05 MISCELLANEOUS 1.1.05.0 Morton field:summer. There was some discussion as to the bid timeline and how aggressive contractors will be. Maintained by Babe Ruth League Use is contested beyond high school and Babe Ruth use 1.1.06 NEXT STEPS 1.1.06.0 The group was targeting a working group meeting at the beginning of April. With the COVID-19 situation this will need to be a video meeting. ACT will coordinate with the TOR on availability. 1.1.06.b ACT will begin pulling together a site analysis plan to convey the opportunities and constraints of the project limits. NEXT MEETING 1.2.01 The next meeting is anticipated sometime in April. ACT will coordinate a date and time with the TOR. The preceding meeting notes represent our understanding of the information exchanged. Please notify us of any misunderstandings or required interpretations, within five days, as we will proceed on the basis that these items are agreed to by all parties. Respectfully, ACTIVIT//AS �GV� Stephen Cd3OIUftl,RIA Landscape Architect sc@activitas.com octivitas.com 70 Milton Street I Dedham, Massachusetts 1 02026-2915 (781) 326-2600