News

Neighbors offer alternative for Beverly High field placement

By Cate Lecuyer
Staff writer
Published: April 29, 2008

BEVERLY — Mount Vernon Architects, the company designing the new high school, last night presented drawings of two locations for a football stadium, both of which Jordan Street neighbors said would be too close to their homes.

Neighbors argued the same point at a meeting two weeks ago.

But last night, one of those abutters, Cory Fisher of 30 Jordan St., showed up with blueprints of his own. Fisher's map was a copy of the one Mount Vernon had, which a public official e-mailed to him, but with one simple change:

"All I'm saying is I switched one square for another," Fisher said. That is, he moved the football stadium to where the softball fields are — next to the track — and moved the softball fields to where the football field is, an area that borders about a dozen properties along Jordan Street.

That plan was more of a hit with residents and the mayor.

"It looks to me like the scales are a little different, but if it fits, so far, I like it a lot," Mayor Bill Scanlon said. "Obviously, the man who put it forward knows his stuff."

He should: Fisher works as a site supervisor for Windover Development, a company that has done a number of building projects in the city.

Fisher's alternative plan came about after a meeting two weeks ago, where neighbors complained about the architect's location of a football stadium. Neighbors at the time said the bleachers, lights and a loudspeaker would generate noise, invade their privacy and ultimately bring down their property values.

As resident Jethro Phelps put it last night, "When we look out the window, we see not the house we bought, but a football field. And not even a football field, but the back of stands.

"If we could at least see the game, it might be different."

Based on the public concern at the time, Mount Vernon said it would look at some other options, which they presented to the public last night.

Mount Vernon site planner Ben Gary suggested moving the football stadium to where the student parking lot is now, which would arrange the field so it was facing east to west instead of north to south, which is preferred for athletic fields, and would necessitate widening a road and leveling the ground.

"It would require some work, but it would fit there," he said.

He also suggested fitting the football field inside the track, which would require building a new track for close to $1 million, and would eliminate a second turf field, since the city is hoping to put a turf field inside the track anyway, as long as there's enough money.

The third idea was to keep the football field where it is and increase the buffer by planting hemlock and maple trees instead of small trees and shrubs.

That's when Fisher stood up.

"The neighborhood would like to offer an alternative," he said, bringing his plans to the front of the room.

"I checked the elevations. I checked the flood plains. I checked the water and sewer. It fits," he said. Fisher said that, one night around 9 p.m. last week, he was at the high school running a 300-foot measuring tape across the fields.

His plan to swap the locations of the football and softball fields maintains the same number of athletic fields, abuts rental homes on Herrick Street, and is farther away from the brook and wetlands that border the high school, he said.

"I just think this is better for all residents," Fisher said.

"I certainly think we have to take a look at it," Gary said. He questioned the dimensions and whether or not they were accurate.

"It's their plan. All I did was switch the fields," Fisher said of his template, the original Mount Vernon renderings.

Mount Vernon plans to take about a week to look over Fisher's design and will schedule another public meeting.

The whole $70 million high school project will be placed out to bid in mid-May, and plans for the football stadium have to be approved before then.