Letter To The Editor: Caryl Park Complex Will Solve Needs Of Growing Youth Programs

You might say that Dover-Sherborn athletics is a victim of its own popularity. Girls and boys sports programs that use town athletic fields have grown dramatically over the past decade, including the DS Soccer Club, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Youth Baseball and Softball, Dover Park & Recreation’s Football program, and Field Hockey program.  Add to the list adult recreation programs on those same fields.  In the context of wide recognition of the benefits of exercise and team sports for school-age children, not to mention adults, this is all good news.

But the dark cloud behind this silver lining has been that the field space that must accommodate these activities has not changed over that time. Field maintenance experts recommend a maximum of 160 hours of usage for a grass field each year.  Dover fields average over 500 hours of usage, with unfulfilled demand for more.  Teams are unable to practice as much as they would like, and overuse creates poor, and sometimes unsafe playing conditions (a DS high school player broke an ankle in 2009 in an injury that has been attributed to field conditions).  Add the factor of New England weather, which this season required rescheduling as many as 1/3 of town games, and you get a serious headache for players, parents, and coaches.

Dover’s Parks and Recreation Commission is very concerned with the issue of unsafe playing fields, and over the past three years studied ways address the challenge. In the fall of 2009 every field-using club, without exception, financially supported hiring Gale Associates, who built new fields in Wellesley and Needham, to investigate Dover field usage and examine ways to provide additional field capacity. This effort evaluated multiple potential solutions, and potential sites.  Ultimately, the Commission concluded that two new synthetic, multi-use fields would offer the best solution, and that the best location would be at Caryl Park.  At public meetings, participants discussed issues such as the need for the fields, traffic on Dedham Street, noise, lights, concern for maintaining Dover’s rural character, and the environmental impact of “artificial turf.” Local sports groups also participated, where they described their needs and objectives.

As a result of these meetings, a number of elements were incorporated into the plan, including positioning the new fields so that the current view of Caryl Park from Dedham Street remains essentially as it is today, with trees between the current Caryl Park fields and the new ones to serve as a visual and noise buffer for the neighbors.  The new parking lot will be positioned behind these new fields to get traffic off the street, as well as prevent many cars from being seen and heard from the street and by neighbors.

In order to finance the project Dover’s Parks and Recreation Commission worked with town sports clubs to form the Caryl Park and Recreation Complex (“CPARC”) Steering Committee. The CPARC Steering Committee is in the process of creating a 501c3 charitable foundation named the Dover Recreation Fund whose sole purpose will be to raise money for this project. The $3.5 million cost will be raised through private donations. “Doing it this way allows greater flexibility,” said Paul Blanchard, Co-Director of the Committee, “and this approach enables residents to be a part of an exciting community project.  We investigated many alternatives and I believe this plan solves the needs of our thriving and growing youth programs.  Members of the community will be proud of the new Caryl Park Complex.  It will offer the space our kids need, and enable them to play in a safe environment less susceptible to the weather.”

“This is a great chance to get involved with a town project that will benefit all town residents,” notes Blanchard.  “This project is about the community coming together to turn a dream into a reality. We are improving your public park for today, tomorrow and forever.  I invite all members of our community to join us, and be part of history in the making!”

The Dover Recreation Fund expects to be able to accept tax deductable donations over the summer. In addition, the CPARC Steering Committee is launching a website to provide information on the project during the fundraising campaign.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick