READFIELD— The working group formulating a plan to add an athletic complex to the town’s fairgrounds agreed on a site to add a much-requested basketball court.
The addition of the basketball court was widely requested during the public hearing in June, when residents authorized the development of an athletic field at the fairgrounds.
The plan for redeveloping Readfield Fairgrounds has gone through its share of ups and downs since being introduced in 2022. Last year, residents voted down a plan to raise $500,000 to build a softball field, basketball court, trail system and other recreational features at the town-owned site.
“It is hard to know the reason why it was voted down. It would be speculation, but I feel the initial plan’s reliance on tax dollars played some role,” said Steve DeAngelis, one of the two people charged to lead the working group.
The Fairground Working Group was formed in January to review the plan and make changes that would suffice for the residents.
The group comprises members of various Readfield committees, including the Conservation Committee, Recreation Committee, Trails Committee and Age Friendly Committee, and includes Selectman Sean Keegan.
Jerry Bley, the other co-process leader of the group, said the group was charged to review the plan under the assumption of not using a single taxpayer dollar.
“We want to have a plan agreed upon by everyone in the group, and then the challenge will be fundraising and applying for federal or state grant money,” said Bley.
The first draft of the plan was introduced in June. The residents approved the plan but noticed the omission of the basketball court.
“There was no specific reason to not include the court,” said DeAngelis. “We weren’t anti-basketball. The group just wanted to balance all the needs to ensure recreation for everyone. It was a first draft, and the public said they wanted a basketball court, so now it’s added.”
The group had been looking for a suitable site to include a basketball court. Bley said that one of the options was on the grounds of Maranacook Community School. After discussing with RSU 38, however, the location did not seem feasible.
Other potential sites included three options at the fairgrounds: one near Church Road, one in the middle of the meadow, and another near the existing ballfields.
“We chose the area near the ballfields. This way all the work will be concentrated in one area,” said Bley. “We chose the site because it was consistent with the other recreation sites nearby.”
A notable change from the 2022 plan is the omission of a standalone concession building.
“We talked about it, and the bottom line is all of this is a work in progress. So, we felt at this (time) we need instead to bring power to the location,” said DeAngelis. “The feeling from most members of the group was by getting power in there we can still provide concessions for events without having a permanent building.”
The group is scheduled to meet again on Dec. 17 with the latest draft, which includes the basketball court. Members expect to have preliminary projections of how much the entire project will cost.
The 2022 plan was projected to cost $700,000, but the price of materials and labor is expected to have risen since then.
After having a plan ready, the group will present a proposal to the residents on Jan. 17 for feedback. Ideally, if the proposal gets general approval, the Select Board will vote to authorize it later in the year. If approved, the town will rely on the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund program, which would cover half the costs, Bley said.
“The plan is not going to be totally unheard of by the people. A lot of it is the same except for minor changes and the addition of the court,” said DeAngelis. “We are hoping to get good feedback and that we are on track. Just got to keep moving forward.”
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