Letter: CPAC Funding For Fort River Fields Would Add Much Needed Quality Playing Surfaces For Town’s Athletes

The following letter was sent to the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee on December 14, 2022.

I saw that your combined straw poll rating last week for the Fort River fields project was quite low, at an average of just 2.9. What I found most surprising was that the two members from the Recreation Commission rated it a 2 and a 3 out of 5. 

You may already have this in mind, but on the off chance that you do not, I wanted to connect the dots on what these field improvements could mean for our middle and high school athletes.

There has been a great deal of discussion over the past month about the poor conditions of all of the middle and high school athletic fields as the town considers a project to replace the high school running track and the interior field. Athletes and coaches are rightly upset that they must practice and play on grass fields that are in such poor condition, increasing their risk of personal injury. We have heard how practices and games are routinely canceled, and some tournaments cannot be played on them. 

To my knowledge, the Regional School District leadership has not planned for funding to improve these eight fields in their long-range capital plan, except for the one field within the running track. That one field, even if it is replaced with artificial turf, will not be enough to meet the needs of the many sports teams. 

It is also my understanding that a recent attempt by Councilor Ellisha Walker to have the Town Council commit to funding repairs to the one town-owned field next to the High School (called “Community Field”) failed to garner sufficient support.

This generational opportunity before you, to provide some level of Outdoor Recreation CPA funding to improve up to four athletic fields at the Fort River property is timely and critical. Once improved, these fields will be the best in town and would be available to middle and high school sports after school and on weekends, as well as available for Amherst Recreation programming. In my mind, it is very important that the town ensure these improvements happen now, as part of the elementary school building project. Having CPA funding secured will help to ensure the improvements make it through into the final school project, and our Hurricane athletes can look forward to access to the high quality fields that they deserve within a reasonable timeframe (2026/2027).

Art Keene

Art Keene coached cross country at Amherst Regional High School for 17 years. His four children participanted in athletic programs at ARHS, ARMS and the town recreation department. He is Managing Editor of the Amherst Indy