What is the Recreation Commission’s long-term plan regarding fields?
Wayland needs to address its playing field shortage. If the Loker Turf Project is approved, the Recreation Commission will not add any other new fields in the next 5 years but would request that existing fields be rehabilitated. If the Loker Turf Project is not approved, then one or more fields will need to be added at other sites.
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It is estimated that over 6,000 children, adults and seniors use Wayland Recreation sites annually. The Town cannot meet demand at current field capacity, and has been unable to find fields in other towns to rent. As a result, the Town turns kids away from youth sports. The Wayland Town-Wide Recreation Facilities Strategic Plan concluded that Wayland grass fields are significantly over-utilized, deteriorating and deficient.
Both Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc. and Gale Associates, Inc. have suggested that our grass fields be used 400-600 hours per year.1 2 Using this standard and, based on the number of fields in Wayland, and field permit data from the Recreation Department, Wayland is currently overusing existing assets by an average of 5,000 hours per year. This represents a deficit of 8-12 grass fields. A single turf field with lights can accommodate over 2,400 hours of usage per year. The addition of 2 lighted synthetic turf fields would address the deficit, using synthetic turf over natural grass turf allows for many more hours of usage that natural grass cannot withstand, and more days per year especially in New England; but the Recreation Department recognizes that Wayland needs a combination of grass and synthetic fields to meet the demand. In 2019, school start and dismissal times were adjusted later in the day, which decreases the availability of school grass fields between dismissal time and sunset.
The Recreation Commission concluded that, at this time, the construction of a single synthetic multi-purpose field would best address the Town's needs. A synthetic turf field will provide the most hours of play and will allow the Town, annually, to take a different grass field that is currently being overused out of play to rest and rehabilitate it. The Recreation Commission has an unused asset at Loker. Creating a playing field a Loker adds to the Town's field inventory. The Recreation Commission reviewed the advantages of both a grass field and a synthetic multi-purpose field at Loker to help alleviate the shortage.
Gale Associates, Inc., Field Development Master Plan, 2014- Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc., Town Wide Recreation Facilities Strategic Plan, 2018.
- Wayland Field Site List
- Rec Field Permit Data, 2019
- Field Usage Data, 2017-2020
