Commission selects light blue surfacing for Nobadeer playground; gets updates on Tom Nevers project, field irrigation and school coordination

The Nantucket Parks and Recreation Commission selected a light-blue rubberized surfacing for the new Nobadeer playground and received several operational updates, including that the Tom Nevers renovation is out to bid and that the department has ordered turf-maintenance equipment.

Charlie, the town’s recreation manager, presented final design choices for the Nobadeer playground and asked commissioners to pick a surfacing mix. He said the vendor supplies a 50/50 blend of a chosen color mixed with black and that the commission had previously matched Tom Nevers’ navy-and-gray palette. Commissioners favored a lighter blue to reduce heat absorption and to harmonize with existing town facilities; the commission settled on a light-blue surfacing.

Charlie said design changes were made to maximize play area and capacity, including removing an expensive arch feature in favor of elements that allow more children to use the space simultaneously. He also said the playground will be fully fenced with a gate and will include shade cloth and trees to provide parent seating and protection from sun exposure.

On the town fields, Charlie reported the department had received 90% construction drawings for the Nobadeer field and plans to add a secondary irrigation well for redundancy and to handle increased irrigation zones. He said the two wells will be piped together and can be valved so one well can serve the site temporarily if the other fails; the recent 2020–21 well outage at Nobadeer that left fields dry motivated the redundancy.

Charlie said he has had preliminary discussions with school staff (identified in the transcript as Chip and Travis) about accommodating school programs if the high school proceeds with its own project next year. He said the town could possibly host football, soccer and field hockey at Nobadeer and shift youth soccer to alternate fields depending on the school’s needs; commissioners emphasized the need for the commission’s involvement in any such accommodation to avoid overuse of town resources.

Charlie also reported that the Tom Nevers project is currently out to open bid and that the department’s first piece of turf-maintenance equipment, a Toro Cross, arrived on-island along with executed contracts for attachments including a large aerator and top dresser. The equipment arrival is intended to help maintain grass fields more effectively year-round.

Commissioners asked about track and turf materials discussed elsewhere (outside the commission’s formal decision) and noted conversations about PFAS-free manufactured turf products; Charlie said products without PFAS are emerging and could influence future school or town choices if the school committee revisits its options.

No formal vote was required on the playground surfacing selection during this meeting; staff will proceed with the light-blue surfacing consistent with the vendor mix described to the commission and continue coordinating bids and field infrastructure work.