Response to Updated Fields Master Plan from Green & Open Somerville

Dear Mayor Curtatone, Honorable Aldermen, Luisa, Brad, Arn, and Jill,

I have read through the updated plan and there has clearly been a lot of work put into this document; I appreciate that many people have spent time and effort to write it. However, I am discouraged. I know the City is balancing many differing needs, desires, and interest groups, and while I understand that it is impossible to make all people 100% happy, I do think that there is a way to increase the use we get out of these fields while at the same time keeping them grass, and increasing the quality and quantity of Somerville's green space. 

There are a few issues that require further explanation.

1. On page 88 under FAQs: Maintenance and Best Practices, the Sports Turf Managers Association is cited as recommending 500 hours of use on a natural grass field. I have also seen this attribution in City presentations, as well as from Weston and Sampson regarding Lincoln Park. I spoke to Kristen Althouse, education manager at STMA, in March of this year, to get more information on this recommendation because it was a lot lower than multiple professional grass field managers were saying grass could take. She said that STMA does not have a recommendation for a maximum use on natural grass fields. She said enough people have asked about this that they were working on coming up with a recommendation, but "there are so many variables that go into determining the number of usage hours a field can withstand – soil type, turfgrass type, weather, maintenance practices, sport being played, etc. Also, STMA is researching these variables over the course of the next year and hopes to have some technology available to the public to help calculate the number of hours natural grass fields can withstand and still remain safe." 

2. On the same page, you say "the June 2013 Gale Athletic Fields Assessment & Master Plan commissioned by the City estimates that 'based on original field construction and current maintenance practice…each natural turf field is capable of experiencing no more than 250 team uses per year without detrimental break down of the turf.' They define a team use as '10-20 persons using the field for a 1-2 hour event.' The event number translated to maximum time equals 500 hours." Considering that the Gale study was basing their estimate on field construction and current maintenance, this needs to be reconsidered. Our fields were all poorly constructed and have had abysmal maintenance. Since the whole point of a new Parks and Rec department is to better maintain our fields, and since an entire section of the revised plan addresses how to better maintain our newly constructed fields, Gale's recommendation is no longer valid. 

3. On page 38 under best practices, natural grass diamond sports fields have an 800 hour use limit. On page 56, Trum is listed as a field "in relatively good condition that we do not intend to overhaul." On page 84, the chart says that Trum Field has 2,094 hours of permitted use, which is over two and a half times the permitted hours recommended for best practices. Please explain the discrepancy of why a field in relatively good condition that is currently sustaining over 2,000 hours of permitted use, needs to be reduced to 800 hours of use.

4. A year's rest time is recommended in the plan after a grass field is seeded and before it can be used. After Chip Osborne's organic grass care forum in Swampscott in April, which Luisa Oliveira and Jill Lathan attended, I spoke with Chip about rest requirements on grass fields. He agreed that a newly seeded grass field does need months of rest, if not a year, but that a sodded field could be used much sooner. While it is more expensive upfront, in his experience he said a sod field is about the same money in the end. I would like the City to talk to Chip or someone else equally knowledgeable about this to learn more about a sod option.

5. On page 89 I believe number 4 refers to organic grass care. Perhaps number 3 does as well, though that is unclear. I go back to Chip Osborne's forum and his assertion that an organically-maintained grass sports field is not only the best choice for the environment, it actually produces the strongest, healthiest, most durable grass field. It doesn't have to be a choice of health vs. usability, because organic gives you both, at least according to Chip, who happens to be an expert in this field. I again beg you to speak to him about this option. He has done it in Marblehead, MA, which has similar use requirements and certainly is in a similar climate to Somerville.

6. Adding artificial turf fields at Winter Hill and Healey is, once again, putting plastic into two of our least green areas of town. I understand that currently there is asphalt at these locations, so we are not removing green space, but think about the rare opportunity we have to actually legitimately add green space in an area of vulnerability.

 

7. The City is right to address the obesity epidemic. We must find ways to get our residents active and exercising. However, I have not heard any organized youth sports group say that there is more demand to join than the fields can accommodate. Based on available City numbers and the 2010 census, approximately 1,660 (or 18% of our under-18 population and 2% of the total population) play in organized youth sports requiring fields. Turf might allow fewer rainouts but would not increase participation.

Let's focus on athletic activities for the 82% of our youth not in organized field sports. The money used to cover our grass fields in plastic could be better used to increase access to basketball and other exercise programs for more kids. And in the summer, when organized sports are on hiatus, more children would use a grass field than a turf one because grass fields are cooler. On a 93 degree day in September of last year, the artificial turf field at the East Somerville Community School was registering 140 degrees at 2:30 in the afternoon. If we are concerned about the health of our youth, we should make sure that they have access to healthy, cool, natural outdoor spaces. Our fields are the majority of Somerville’s green space. In a city with the smallest amount of green space in Massachusetts, we can’t afford to lose any of our fields to plastic.

8. On page 76 it mentions an RFP for a Fields Maintenance Plan consultant. Who is writing this? What are the guidelines that will be used to determine their qualifications if we do not currently even know what is needed to properly maintain a grass field? 

9. Speaking to the economics of fields, considering that a grass field can be properly maintained for a fraction of the cost of installing an artificial turf one, and considering Somerville needs to fund an additional $50 million for the GLX, as well as construction on the High School, wouldn't it behoove us to attempt a few years of proper maintenance of our grass fields before we pay millions of dollars for the proposed artificial turf fields in this plan? It could end up saving us millions of dollars. And grass improvements can begin immediately.

10. On page 61 it says, regarding artificial turf fields, that "fortunately, there are a number of safe and healthy options to choose from." Currently, crumb rubber's potential catastrophic health concerns are finally being evaluated by the EPA. However, no matter what infill is used, whether it be crushed tires or expensive and short-lived corkonut, or something in between, there is no getting around the fact that the plastic playing surface is hot, its carbon footprint is enormous, its recyclability at the end of its lifespan dubious and expensive, and its destruction of living green space certain. Once plastic is laid down, the space will not be returned to living plants without extreme expense. It contributes to global warming, both in its production and in its heat output. Grass is cool. In this time on our planet where not just scientists but the general population now believes that human-induced climate change is upon us, it does not make sense to increase our heat output and use of environmentally destructive materials. We need to make sacrifices if we want Earth to remain livable. We are faced with a choice: plastic perfection on our sports fields vs. the health of the planet we will leave for our grandchildren.

We truly can achieve significantly greater use of our grass fields with a little guidance. We have nationally-recognized industry leaders working in the greater Boston area. Please consult with them before we permanently destroy the little green space that we have. I have given Arn, Brad, Luisa, and Jill the contact info for a few of these experts, but I am happy to resend it if need be. 

Somerville needs more green space and more use of our fields. We are trusting the City to thoroughly investigate all options as they move forward with improvement plans.

Warmly,

Renée Scott

Green & Open Somerville

Thoughts on the Union Square Neighborhood Plan as submitted to the Planning Board

‘Build a sustainable future through strong environmental leadership, balanced transportation modes, engaging recreational and community spaces, exceptional schools and educational opportunities, improved community health, varied and affordable housing options, and effective stewardship of the land.’

Somervision’s Shared Community Values

(pg 34 in the Neighborhood plan)

Planning Board Members,

Here are comments from Green and Open Somerville and Somerville Climate Action on the Union Square Neighborhood Plan:

Somerville must define Green Space separately from Open Space. The EPA defines green space as “land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. Green space includes parks, community gardens, and cemeteries.”

We would add: Green Space is anything that requires sun, water, and soil for its survival. It must release oxygen into the air and sequester carbon into the soil.

Somerville must measure our current amount of green space and set this amount as a minimum requirement for green space in Somerville. We have so little already, that we cannot afford to reduce this amount. But to increase green space, as stated as one of the goals in Somervision, we need to know how much we have right now.

The plan’s proposed 15% Open Space is unacceptable. The community has been asking for more green and open space from the outset. 34% is our recommendation, and the recommendation of the CAC.

We would like that certain percentage be green (⅔). Our definition of green space can be achieved on the vertical axis (living walls) and on terraces and rooftops.

We need to make Open Space a priority. It makes a city a more desirable place to live. Green and open space also increase the nearby property’s value.  

All train tracks must be covered within 100 yds of recreational and green spaces.

Air pollution created by trains is harmful to humans, especially when exercising. No field should be placed within 100 yds of busy streets or trains due to nanoparticles and their detrimental health effects. Tufts has done studies on this:http://sites.tufts.edu/cafeh/project-description/improving-the-health-of-near-highway-communities/

Of Rooftops, Walls, and Parking: No structure in Union Square can have parking on top of a building. All top levels of buildings, including parking garages, must be devoted to sustainability. They must be fitted with photovoltaic solar panels, have a green roof (plants and soil), and/or have a blue roof (water collection), etc. Our new way of thinking should focus on lowering, if not completely eliminating, the environmental impact of our structures.

Living green walls and roofs must be required for all new construction. If it is on a private building, we should offer an incentive to encourage the owner to allow public access. These green roofs and walls do not count towards our green space minimum or goals, but are vital components of creating a healthy urban environment. Painting one’s roof white is not enough.

All new roofs must have the structural capacity to support urban agriculture, playing fields, or rooftop parks.

Green Space Proximity: The same rules of how close one must be to a playground must also apply to green space.

Green Space in Union Square: We MUST have green space and recreational space in Union Square. It cannot be shunted to Boynton Yards.

The Community Path cannot be considered green until it is green: Mounds of crumb rubber, tiers of artificial turf, and condo landscaping (mulch with a smattering of plants) is not green.

Streets, Civic Space and Open Space: If a passenger car or bus can legally drive on it, that space cannot be counted towards our open space nor civic space.

Ricky's: Removing Ricky’s and replacing it with a mini-park does not make sense. His space is valuable to our community and is already a green area where people congregate.

Accessibility to green space must be more rigorous for our elders: Gardening, planting flowers, listening to music, playing games, and relaxing is a must to maintain a high quality of life for our most precious and most neglected citizens. They need a place to sit and be that is not a playground.

All public spaces must adhere to Somerville's Green Space Standard: This future ordinance will  be similar to that of New York’s City’s Biodiversity and Sustainable Public Landscapes’ one; but Somerville’s will be better.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/gbee/downloads/pdf/urban_ecology.pdf

Its aim is to get carbon out of the atmosphere, create biodiversity, increase green space, reduce stormwater runoff, reduce the amount of maintenance for our landscapes, foster curiosity, educate the citizens, provide beauty, plant native trees, shrubbery, flowers and grasses to reintroduce native ecology back to the city and reintroduce urbanites to the native flora and fauna that used to live here, support bees, birds and butterflies, create an urban wild/forest, mitigate pollution, make better tree well designs so the trees we plant survive, include more planting strips and bioswales, construct sustainable sidewalks that use green design principles, save money and make our city a pleasant place in which to live.

Civic Space: We would like to see more renderings of our civic spaces. This has been a Somerville Priority from the outset. We want our city to be a community focused on the health and well being of its citizens.

Affordable Housing: It says in the mission statement that varied and affordable housing is needed. We need much, much more housing that is affordable to more than just the affluent.

Housing Split: We would like to see the housing split to have much more 3-4 bedroom units. Millennial housing (1-2 bedroom units comprises more than ½ of the proposed housing).

The city has is backwards when they say that study’s and demographics is dictating the kind of housing. We disagree. We believe that the types of housing are dictating the demographics.

We want ALL demographics of people be able to live in Somerville in equal measure.

Redeveloping Grey Fields: Target is the largest Landholder in the area. Yes to redeveloping Target! Yes to reducing a ‘Sea of Parking’!

Using Green Design Standards in Landscaping: Our current landscape practices are antiquated and often do more harm than good. They contribute to climate change, pollute the water systems, decrease biodiversity and have negative health impacts on humans and animals.

By using green landscaping principles we:

Combat climate change by taking carbon out of the air and putting it back in the soil.

Mitigate Stormwater runoff.

Decrease need for maintenance.

Create perpetual self-watering planting beds.

Foster biodiversity.

Preserving the Boston Skyline: It is imperative that we think about how our new development will affect the Boston skyline. The Boston skyline as seen from Prospect Hill needs be preserved for all of Somerville citizens to enjoy. We want Prospect Hill Park to be the highest feature in Union Square and Boynton yards. We would like to preserve the view of Fenway Park from Prospect Hill Monument. It is spectacular to view at night and it enriches Somerville to be able to view this historic landmark.  

Temptation to Overdevelop: Please let us not overdevelop. We need to make the city a livable, desirable place for people.  Without setbacks, open space, and buildings maxed out, we lose the human scale.

Specific plan page notes:

Layout of plan: We are disappointed with the Neighborhood Plan document’s lack of street labeling and reference points. It makes it very confusing to understand where specific areas are.

Page 77: The plan says, “Somerville loves our green spaces.”

According to the Gehl Architects Survey quoted in the Plan, when asked to provide their favorite place, “more than 10% of respondents prefer small intimate parks.” Out of the top five favorite places, number three was Prospect Hill Park and Union Square Plaza was five. What were one, two, and four? Where did Lincoln Park or the Community Path rank on that list? What did the other 90% of respondents say?

On Somerville’s love of small intimate parks:

We only have small parks in Somerville. Of course we love them because they are the only green space we have! The takeaway from the Gehl Survey should be that we love our green spaces, not that we prefer smaller parks.

From an outside perspective, Prospect Hill Park may seem small, but it is one of the largest green spaces we have. We would like parks the size of Prospect Hill and larger.

It would also be wonderful to incorporate an “Emerald Necklace”, something like the Rose Kennedy Greenway or Highline Park in New York City. We need more seating, art, recreational aspects and water features throughout these landscapes.

Page 80: The land for Merriam Street Park needs to be set aside before the green line is established. A Green Space fund for a rainy day is not enough. It leaves too much up to the future, which is unknown. Green space must be designed concomitantly while other parcels are being developed - i.e., if D2 is being developed, the proposed Merriam Street Park must be built at the same time. This will assure that the green space we want, deserve, and are planning for will actually come to fruition.

Page 80/81: The plan says, “15% of land being developed must be civic space.”

Does ‘civic space’ include sidewalks? If that’s the case, the sidewalks would compromise more than 15%. Is 15% the total volume of the buildings or the footprint? We need more civic space.

General Questions/Comments:

Is the proposed future zoning being adhered to while buildings are being erected now? The sidewalks in front of 193 Washington Street seem quite narrow for the size of the building. The structure is built out to the sidewalk. What does the proposed new zoning say about sidewalk widths and setbacks?

Are sidewalks considered part of the public space/civic space?  What's the difference between open and civic space? What is the difference between public space and civic space?

When do electric buses come to town? Is there grant money we can apply for?

Can we do modular housing stacked atop each other like they do in Cambridge?

What are the specifics on the millennial condos?

Is the Planning committee voting on an aspirational document or a set in stone one?

What is the legal significance of the Neighborhood Plan?

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Somerville has an amazing opportunity at this moment to set the model of what it means to be the New American City. We want to be the standard by which all cities are measured. If we commit the to community values as iterated in Somervision, and commit to the community’s vision of what Somerville should be, we will achieve it.

We fear if the City and Planning Board do not hear our concerns to improve the Neighborhood Plan, we will fail at this goal.

We would have liked to have more time on this document and have a chance to compare our findings with more members of the community. But we appreciate the extra week.

We will continue to be vocal. We hope the city and the Planning Board will put the concerns and goals of its citizens ahead of those of the developers.  

Thank you for reading our commentary.

Green & Open Somerville

Somerville Climate Action

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City of Somerville, Massachusetts

Contact:
Denise Taylor dtaylor@somervillema.gov (o) 617-625-6600, ext. 2103 (c) 857-523-9905

Jackie Rossetti
JRossetti@somervillema.gov
(o) 617-625-6600, ext. 2614 (c) 857-636-2396
JANUARY 12, 2016

JOSEPH A. CURTATONE MAYOR

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LINCOLN PARK PLAN TO BE PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY ON MONDAY, JAN. 25th
City’s Largest Open Space Renovation Project Folds 6 Projects into 1 including
1.26M Gallon Stormwater Management System to Reduce Area Flooding New, Expanded Multi-Use Schoolyard
Enhanced Open Space and Natural Grass Multi-Use Field
Community Activity Corridor with Adventure Play Area, Parkour/Skate Park Area, Basketball Court, Exercise Nodes, Community Gardens & More
New Off-Leash Dog Area Upgraded Softball Diamond
SOMERVILLE–After three years of community discussions and public design process, the resulting final plans for the renovation of Lincoln Park will be presented to the community at an open house on Monday, Jan. 25th (details below). The renovation of the 6.6 acre park, the 2nd largest city-owned park, will comprise six projects in one, including:
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Stormwater management: A 1.26 million gallon, underground stormwater management system that will reduce the runoff that contributes to flooding in the Union Square area; Schoolyard Upgrades: A new, expanded and enhanced multi-use schoolyard with outdoor classroom, upgraded play areas, vegetable gardens, rain gardens, multi-sport court, and more;

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The design was developed by Weston & Sampson’s Design Studio, Spurr, an award-winning landscape architectural and engineering services firm responsible for the design of a number of Somerville Parks including North Street, as well as Albion, Grimmons, and the Quincy Street Open Space, which all won awards.
“Our community has spoken up loud and clear that we need both more open space and more high quality open space, which is why we have renovated or built 31 parks and open spaces in just the last eleven years. But to continue to meet our growing needs and long-term goals, we need to pick up even this fast pace,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “The Lincoln Park project will do just that by moving forward what is essentially five important park projects at once as well as a critical stormwater management project that will benefit all of Union Square. I want to thank the community for the valuable input they had in the planning process.”
Central Field to Be Natural Grass; Fields Master Plan to Address Long-Term Needs
After extensive deliberation and community feedback both for and against synthetic turf for the central playing field, a design featuring a natural grass playing field was selected. To adhere to best practices for natural grass playing fields, organized field use will be reduced to Argenziano School recess as well as limited light use for younger youth sports.
To accommodate displaced sports during construction, the City is working with both Tufts University and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to make alternate fields available. Short-term plans include regrading and reseeding of Draw 7 Park and use of Tufts fields. Additional projects, including a potential new turf field at Tufts, possible turf installation at alternate City or State sites, and additional field space in the Union Square revitalization area will be integrated into a long-range Fields Master Plan to address long-term field needs.
“There was a compelling argument for a natural grass field at this particular park, but we also have significant and growing needs for field time for youth and adult sports. To maintain the health and well-being of our community, we must ensure those needs are met,” said Mayor Curtatone. “For this reason, I have directed our planning staff to develop a formal Fields Master

Expanded Green Space: Enhanced passive green space as well as a natural grass multi- use field and more than 150 new trees;
Community Activity Corridor: spanning an adventure play area with everything from traditional swings to a splash pad, exploratory sand play, and tree house-like play structures, as well as a parkour and skate park space, passive seating, a basketball court, picnic area, outdoor exercise equipment, and community gardens all connected by tree- lined walkways;

New Dog Area: Small off-leash area with dog run;
Upgraded Softball Diamond: Improved field with increased buffer to nearby residences.

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Plan with community input that will build on our ongoing fields planning. That plan will guide our rethinking of both our existing fields as well as the development of new fields.”
Proposal Submitted to Board of Aldermen
A proposal has been submitted to the Board of Aldermen for the estimated $9.4 million in funding that will be required to cover construction of all six components of the Lincoln Park project. Approximately $2M of the total funding is needed to construct the 2-acre underground stormwater holding areas. When accounting for size, the remaining average of roughly $1.48M for each of the five park project areas compares favorably with the average park renovation cost of roughly $1M in recent years. As noted, Lincoln Park is 6.6 acres, while, for example, North Street Park, which was recently completed at a cost of $1M, is 0.3 acres.
If funding is approved, the project will go out to bid with a projected construction start date of either June 2016 or June 2017, depending upon several factors. Construction is expected to take roughly one year (barring unexpected weather or other disruptions) with additional time required to rest the grass fields so that root systems are established before use.
“For generations, this park has been an important gathering place for neighbors and families. I’m thrilled to see that it will not be simply updated but that it will be transformed to the open space jewel that it should be, with features to meet so many varied community needs,” said Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston. “Just as important, flooding in the Union Square area is a very real concern, and this is a good start toward reducing the stormwater load on the system and providing our residents some relief. I’m heartened that the City recognized the need to renovate this park not just from above, but also from below.”
Upcoming Meetings
Lincoln Park Project Plan Community Open House
6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, at the Argenziano School, 290 Washington St.
Weston & Sampson Park designers and City park planning staff from the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will host an open-house, drop-in meeting for residents to view the plans, ask questions, and engage in discussions with friends, neighbors and the project team.
Fields Master Planning Process
Watch for announcements of the kickoff meeting soon. Subscribe to the City newsletter produced by our ResiStat program at www.somervillema.gov/newsletter to get an email reminder once the date is set.
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Alderman Lafuente Speaks Out!

Alderman Lafuente speaks the truth! Below is Alderman Lafuente's post on artificial turf (link and text). We thank him for publicly speaking out about this important issue.

http://www.tonylafuente.com/why_i_m_opposed_to_artificial_turf_at_lincoln_park?utm_campaign=turf&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tonylafuente

Why I’m opposed to Artificial Turf at Lincoln Park

POSTED BY TONY LAFUENTE 5PC ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 · FLAG

I’m opposed to the Administration’s plan to install artificial turf at the fields at Lincoln Park. This is a somewhat contentious issue and both sides are passionate about their points of view, and both make good arguments for their positions.

I’ve received lots of correspondence from people both in favor and against – and that’s a credit to the sense of community we have in Somerville.

Though I’m sympathetic to arguments from those in favor of artificial turf, and I know they have the best interests of everyone at heart, I’m against artificial turf for the following reasons:

Heat & the Environment - The heat-absorbing properties of artificial turf make it unhealthy to play on during hot weather. Temperatures on the artificial turf can be up to 20 degrees higher than grass. And studies have shown synthetic turf can be as much as 37 degrees higher than air temperature. Somerville gets very hot for much of the year, especially during times when fields are used the most and this is a health hazard to our children and others using the fields.

Health and Safety – There are numerous health and safety concerns with artificial turf.  Crumb rubber infill in artificial turf fields can get into eyes, noses, and mouths, causing people to ingest cancer-causing chemicals. In fact, the EPA has found 30 chemicals in artificial turf and has advised further study to determine risks. None of the studies that are offered to show artificial turf is safe look at long-term impacts, and they rarely involve young children. 

Green Space – Somerville is a highly-densely populated city and we need to strive for more green space throughout the city - and that includes our playing fields. Once we make a field artificial, there’s no going back to grass. Once installed, artificial turf will kill any living organism in the subsoil and make it extremely difficult to grow grass on that area in the future.

Cost: Despite claims that artificial turf requires low long-term maintenance costs, I’m not convinced that artificial turf provides the cost savings that proponents suggest. Effective maintenance of artificial turf is demanding and costly. It must be regularly vacuumed to remove dust, dirt, pollen, skin cells, and a host of other debris. Weeds that grow through the turf must be removed and there are a host of other maintenance issues. 

Aside from this specific debate though, Somerville clearly needs more green space and fields for our kids and adults alike to play on. I’ll continue to stress the importance of more green space to the Administration. I’ll also advocate for better maintenance of existing fields by the Department of Public Works.

If you have any feedback, let me know by clicking here, or send me an email. You can also post to myFacebook page here.

The vagueness in the definitions in the law for open space

Somerville's zoning laws refer to "open space" without any subcategories. This vagueness in the definition of open space allow some truly bizarre equivalencies to be created. "Open space" includes grass fields, but it also includes artificial turf fields. It also includes concrete plazas and asphalt parking lots. 

Somervision requires new open space to be created in Somerville, but new parking lots would meet this goal. This would be a perversion of the intent of Somervision. Part of the rationale for having open space is for the emotional and physical well-being of the residents the city, but natural environments heal us far better than concrete open spaces. The climate (both local and global) needs to be part of the discussion as well. Grass cools; plastic heats.

The definition of "open space" in Somerville must take into account the desirability of some types of surfaces rather than others. For example, grass is better than artificial turf, while artificial turf is better than asphalt. A definition which acknowledges this might allow an artificial turf field to be installed over an asphalt roof, but would ensure grass would never be sacrificed for plastic.