by Brian Keaney

The Finance Committee reversed course last night and recommended funding a scaled back renovation of some athletic facilities at the High School.  Four members switched their votes after nearly 40 coaches, parents, administrators and School Committee members packed the room to make their pitch for a second time.

High School principal Jake Santamaria started off by making the case that the facilities were “in deplorable condition” and “very much beyond repair.”  He called the bleachers “an unsafe structure” and said that with the increased number of teams playing and practicing on it, “the field just can not support the current usage.”

Athletic Director Tom Arria said that the track was in such poor condition as to be a safety hazard, and that depending on the winter they may not be able to use it in the spring.  If they can, he said, it would be their last season. 

Santamaria told Committee members that the Bay State Conference was currently reviewing the track to see if it would be suitable to host home meets.  He added that he recently was part of an accreditation team visiting another high school, and by using that standard he questioned whether Dedham would meet it.

“We would be in serious trouble for accreditation,” Santamaria said.

Several coaches also spoke in favor of the proposal.  Paul Podolski, a resident and coach, said the facilities put Dedham students “at a competitive disadvantage” compared to surrounding towns.  Jim Walker, also a resident and a track coach, said he often runs practices on side streets because the track has frost heaves. 

“It’s sort of like living in what was once a grand old home but has now become the neighborhood eyesore,” Walker said.  “People come in and you are always apologizing for this condition or that condition.”

Bob Cochrane, the president of Pop Warner, said the new facilities would benefit the youth sports programs of the town as well.  Chairman Sal Ledda of the Parks and Recreation Commission also spoke in favor, saying it would ease the burden on the Town’s other fields.

School Committee member Tom Ryan presented the Finance Committee with a $3.1 million plan to address the facilities, which was down from the $4.3 million proposal last week.  Ryan also provided members with a more detailed estimate, addressing some Committee members concerns that the previous cost estimates had too many round numbers and not enough details.

The $375,000 synthetic turf field remained the same as was proposed last week.  Ryan said that there were some fields that were $30,000 to $50,000 cheaper, but the one they selected was “the safest available on the market.”  It has an expected life span of 10 to 15 years.

The track surrounding the field was downgraded from a polyurethane surface to a latex surface for a savings of $61,800.  Superintendent June Doe said that polyurethane was standard for college tracks and latex was standard for municipal tracks. 

The number of seats the new stadium will hold will be cut by more than half, from about 2,300 currently to 1,000.  Reducing the number of seats will also save on the number of bathroom facilities that will have to be constructed.  Proponents expect to get at least a 50% variance, which will reduce the cost to $367,500 for 14 total fixtures.

Proponents say they are comfortable with having only 1,000 seats, which is down from the 1,500 in the previous proposal, but comments they made last night suggest that may not be enough. 

Included in the new proposal is $25,000 for ready the site to install lights for night games.  Ryan said they would seek the $275,000 to finish installing lights through the normal capital expenditures process.

Arria said that the one night game the football team plays at home, using lights rented by Pop Warner, usually brings out about 2,000 people.  On Thanksgiving, he said, there will be more people than the stands can hold.  Any night game in any sport brings out more fans, he said, and they would have to make due with only half as many seats as spectators.

“You’ll see a lot more people standing around the fence,” Arria said.  “That’s what it comes down to.”

Also cut from the proposal is a new concession stand attached to the restrooms.  Instead the existing stand built into the High School building will be utilized.

The two new tennis courts that were part of the original proposal also were not budgeted for in the new plan.  Ryan said that if savings were found in other areas that they would be added in later.  He said after the meeting, however, that he would oppose any effort at Town Meeting to add any features back in.

The organized effort to bring out a large crowd of supporters seemed to have an effect on at least some of the members.  School Committee member Tracy Driscoll, whose husband Mark is on the Finance Committee, said they would have attended last week’s meeting but that she didn’t know about it.

Committee member Derek Moulton said he did not have a problem with the original cost, simply with the lack of detail in the proposal.  He and Chairman David Martin were still not completely satisfied with what they were presented last night, but Moulton switched his vote and both voted to fund it. 

Kevin Young, who is a member of both the Finance Committee and the School Building/ Rehabilitation Committee, also switched his vote and now voted yes.  Young said he missed both the Finance Committee meeting and the SBRC meeting when the proposal was originally made.  He said that now that he had seen the presentation he understood the need and would support it.

Also switching from a no vote to a yes vote was committee member Laura Timmons, but not before asking if the project could be completed in phases.  The fourth vote to switch was that of Bill Podolski who at the beginning of the meeting seemed to indicate that he would continue to vote against it.

Committee members Bill McKinney and Sue Carney both voted no at the previous meeting, but were not present last night.

The new proposal will cost the average homeowner $338 over the 16 year life of the bond, down from $466.  For each $100,000 of assessed value in a home a tax bill will rise by $5.13 each year.

If a new Avery School is constructed the practice field will be used as the staging area for the project.  Ryan said that architects assured him the new Stone Park could be completed by the end of 2010, adding that it was durable enough to be used for both practice and games year round.

“It’s something reflects not only upon athletics but on the whole town,” Walker said of the current facilities.  “Walk into any of the surrounding towns and ask yourself where would you want your kids to go.”