In a three-hour meeting Tuesday night, members of Swim Winchester, who are advocating to build a swimming pool complex on Skillings Field, and residents from the Skillings neighborhood who oppose the proposed site shared their different visions and concerns regarding the future of Skillings Field.
Following presentations by both groups and numerous public comments, Winchester Select Board and School Committee voted unanimously on Jan. 16 to approve a resolution to move forward with the efforts on the northeast corner of the field.
The resolution subjects Swim Winchester, a volunteer non-profit organization spearheading the efforts, to a list of conditions they will be expected to meet in order for the pool to be approved by the town. Multiple actions will have to be taken prior to the actual construction of the complex, including the decision coming before Town Meeting.
“The resolution allows for Swim Winchester to go out to the outside community to begin fundraising efforts for the facility,” said Town Manager Richard Howard.
According to the resolution, it is expected that Swim Winchester will report back within two years that it can fund the construction of the facility, a timeline approved proposed and approved at the meeting. The group also committed not to draw on the town’s personnel and financial resources during the process. Swim Winchester will also consider the impact that the construction and the complex itself will have on the neighborhood, including traffic and parking.
$12 million needed
Members of Swim Winchester and their allies echoed a theme that the swimming pool complex would be a long-overdue community gathering place for residents of all ages.
“We want to make a pool a center for everyone in the community,” said Catherine Curtis, president of Swim Winchester.
With programming that goes beyond aquatic activities and is uninterrupted by cold weather, athletes, seniors, families and even non-swimmers will benefit from the facility, she said.
The group has already raised over $100,000, which includes grants from the En Ka Society, John and Mary Murphy Educational Foundation, Winchester Mount Vernon House, and Chinese American Network of Winchester. The estimated cost of the project is $12 million, a sum the group plans to raise with private donations. Membership fees will cover the maintenance of the facility once it’s built. The town would lease the land to Swim Winchester, a parcel of about 1.65 acres.
Kate Fosburgh, senior captain at Winchester High School, said she has been carpooling with seven other girls to a pool in Medford at 5 a.m. for practices.
“Having a swimming pool right in our backyard sounds absolutely incredible,” she said. With a home pool, swim meets would garner the kind of support that other high school teams get, she said.
For Michael O’Brian, who is suffering from several serious conditions including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s, a public pool he can easily access would be a tangible-asset to the town.
Advocates: Site the best option
Following a lengthy evaluation of 17 sites in town, Swim Winchester members are convinced that the field is the best option for the facility’s site.
Located on a former wetland and dump area, the site rose concerns about potential flooding due to the Aberjona River flowing in a culvert under the center of the field. However, the test borings conducted by consultants hired by Swim Winchester concluded that the site is environmentally and technically suitable for construction, according to geotechnical reports prepared by GEI Consultants.
Nailing down the location for the pool is key for Swim Winchester, so that the group can proceed with further cost estimates and fundraising plans, Swim Winchester member Tom Freund said.
“Now is the time and Skillings is the place,” Freund said.
Skillings Field neighbors respond
While the idea of a pool complex sounds appealing in theory, some community members believe the town is neglecting important factors that they say will impede the success of the project.
Jeff Dean from Friends and Neighbors of Skillings Field group said the resolution’s timing was premature, given the uncertainty of so many plans and Swim Winchester’s ambitious fundraising goal. The town’s options aren’t limited to Skillings either. Dean said other potential locations exist in the area including the pool on Forest Street. Winchester state Rep. Michael Day has already secured $6 million in the House budget for 2018 which could be applied to renovating that site, Dean said.
Dean also said the town hasn’t had a chance to hear from all stakeholders.
The study conducted for Swim Winchester by its consultants isn’t trustworthy either, according to Brian Sogoloff. The high-scoring feature like proximity to the high school would only benefit a small subset of athletes who swim. The facility would eliminate valuable field space already scarce in the town, he said, would cause shortage of parking space and create safety issues given increased traffic.
Traffic concerns resonated with many. Kerry Downey said the area near Skillings is unique to the town with its bike “gang” of kids regularly roaming the streets.
“They will be using our neighborhood as a rotary essentially,” she said.
In addition, Dean said data in Swim Winchester’s feasibility study suggested the town may potentially lose $600,000 a year following the proposed user fee revenue model. Maintenance of the facility may put the town in financial peril down the road, the opponents suggested.
Town officials on board
Members of Select Board and School Committee were on the same page about the necessity of the community pool and fitness complex in town. Select Board member Lance Grenzeback acknowledged that Skillings Field isn’t a perfect site, but after a thorough examination of other sites, “it beats the others by a considerable margin.”
Swim Winchester’s Curtis said the group is eager to continue the conversation with the neighbors of Skillings field.
“We’re willing to work on the concerns,” said Curtis. “When someone’s proposing a change that’s in your backyard, it can be difficult.”
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