Thursday, April 27, 2000 Older Editions

Article 28: Rec Park playing fields benched again by TM voters

By Judy Wakefield

The turtles will continue to nest in peace at the Essex Sand and Gravel Pit.

Meanwhile, 6-year-old soccer players like Hannah Nichols say they will continue to get hurt every time they fall because Andover playing fields are in terrible shape from overuse.

"The fields are rocky, bumpy and have no grass," Hannah told Town Meeting Tuesday night, but her plea for new fields fell on deaf ears.

Town Meeting rejected spending $1.1 million to overhaul Recreation Park. The plan included building three playing fields along with a parking lot, trails, a footbridge and a fishing platform. The vote was 319-215 against the job. The Finance Committee was also opposed to the project.

While Hannah and several other residents argued that Andover desperately needs new fields, other residents voiced concerns about disturbing the existing "ecology" in the gravel pit area.

Turtles nest in the sand and hawk sightings have been reported. The area is a popular walking trail for many residents, such as Joan Ellis of Willard Circle.

"It's a special place. Let's not ruin it," she said.

"Do we want to be defined by what we build or what we preserve?" asked Ed Parker of Carlisle Street.

Opponents were also concerned about the cost of the project and applauded when the Finance Committee announced its opposition to the plan. The committee called the plan "very expensive" and is concerned about "doing too much too fast."

They asked residents to wait until several ongoing projects -- the public safety center, the senior center and the new schools -- are further along before supporting the plan.

A disappointed Mary Donohue of the Department of Community Services, which runs numerous athletic programs, said supporters will do just that.

"This was a grave mistake. We desperately need those fields," she said, adding that the gravel pit area is anything but an ecological paradise.

"I would not walk alone there. It's not safe," she said. "There is a lot of trash around there and a lot of partying going on."

Donohoe announced Wednesday that DCS has launched "Essex on Abbott," a fundraising effort for the Recreation Park plan. Donations may be made to Friends of DCS, Essex on Abbott, Bartlet Street, Andover.

"We support the master plan and will come back to Town Meeting with community support and offer the money to help defray costs," Donohue said.

She wondered if the plan would have been approved if it were presented on Monday instead of Tuesday.

Monday's crowd was overwhelmingly made up of parents because the new school building plan was discussed. In fact, more than 1,200 people attended Monday. Less than half of that number attended Tuesday.