Report Finds Shortage of Athletic Fields In Bedford

The Bedford Selectmen commissioned the Outdoor Recreation Area Study Committee (ORASC) in June to analyze and report on the state of athletic fields in Bedford.

On Monday night the ORASC presented a draft of the report to the Selectmen and Town Manager Richard Reed, detailing a lack of supply of athletic fields in Bedford as well as a comprehensive plan for addressing this shortfall. 

According to an inventory taken by the ORASC, Bedford has a total of 43 athletic fields 17 of which are categorize as multi-use, meaning several different sports can be played on those fields.

Comparing these numbers with eight communities in the surrounding area, Bedford is below all but three in total number of fields and below all but three in number of multi-use fields.

More notably, of the eight communities examined by the ORASC, all had at least one large multi-use turf field-Bedford does not. 

Turf fields are desirable for several reasons. 

According to the report, "turf fields allow other municipalities to get more efficiencies (more players per field) for their youth sports programs, particularly the youth soccer and lacrosse programs.

In examining population served across youth soccer, youth lacrosse and youth baseball programs, Bedford falls well below the average of neighboring towns for each sport.

"The addition of one or two turf fields could make a significant difference in terms of the Youth Sports programs," according to the report. 

The ORASC report stated that while the high demand for use of athletic fields in Bedford is currently being met, the shortfall in supply is leading to "severe over-use issues on the fields because demand clearly outstrips supply."

This overuse leads to a decrease in meeting demand because fields that are overused will be closed for longer periods of time for maintenance, according to the report. 

According to analysis by the ORASC, all of Bedford's full sized rectangular athletic fields offer 1840 hours of use annually without being overused. Currently, the annual demand for full sized rectangular athletic fields in Bedford is 2860 hours.

"This means the fields are consistently over-used, creating lower field quality, more field closures and significantly increased field maintenance costs."

The first stage of the comprehensive plan the ORASC put to the Selectmen and Town Manager involves the installment of a turf field at Bedford High School's Sabourin Stadium. 

"By turfing Sabourin, an additional estimate of 600 hours per year of field supply is generated, as well as an additional full-sized rectangular field," according to the report. "While this does not cover all of the excess demand, it provides an immediate and significant impact."

According to the ORASC, the estimated cost for turfing Sabourin Stadium is $1.1 million. Of this cost, $605,000 could come from Community Preservation Act funding.

The second stage of the ORASC plan entails the installation of two large rectangular fields. The town has several options for fulfilling this stage according to the report:

1. Development of land recently purchased by the Town of Bedford from Saint Michael's Church. Using this land, the town could create two new full sized rectangular turf fields adjacent to Bedford High School. This would cost the town $2.65 million, of which approximately $1.53 million would be eligible for CPA funding. 
2. Reconfiguration of the H field at 80 Railroad Avenue to become two large rectangular turf fields. Cost estimates would be completed once potential designs are vetted.
3. Turf existing fields such as the B field at 9 Mudge Way and J and Plateau fields at John Glenn Middle School. The cost of this conversion is estimated to be between $800,000 and $900,000, approximately $540,000 of which would be eligible for CPA funding. 

The Community Preservation Committee recently voted to approve funding for the turfing of Sabourin Stadium.

"Given the cost relative to the benefits, the Sabourin Field project was given highest priority," according to the ORASC report. "It is recommended that this work begin as soon as possible. The excessive demand for fields will begin to be alleviated as soon as the new Sabourin Field comes online."