Parks & Recreation Commission

BO AR D M EM BE R S Erin Zamarro, Chair Andres Bartholomew Nick Chacharone Brian Dardy Eric Stratton Andrew Serrato PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Nataile Turner MEETING AGENDA C ON T A CT Thursday September 18, 2025 @ 6:30 PM • 50 Officer Manny Familia Way • Worcester, MA 01605 Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Administrative Office – Meeting Room A • Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 PM 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 • Phone: 508-799-1190 • Email: Parks@worcesterma.gov • Website: The Parks & Recreation Commission meeting will be held in-person at the date, time and location listed above. Meeting attendees will www.worcesterma.gov/parks additionally have options to participate remotely by joining online or by phone: The Parks & Recreation Commission is committed to ensuring that its public meetings are accessible • Use the following link to join the meeting via computer: to all. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please reach out to the 1) Go to www.team.com staff contact listed. While boards and commissions 2) Enter Meeting ID: 282 899 139 099 9 do their best to accommodate you, certain accommodation may not be available if requested 3) Enter Password: vg3nB9zB within short notice of the scheduled meeting. 4) Join the meeting now Requests for American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 business days or more in advance of the meeting. • Call 1-469-998-7682 (Access Code: 467 796 488#) Hay disponibles servicios de interpretación y otras adaptaciones con solicitud previa. Note: If technological problems interrupt the virtual meeting ‫ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ وﻏﯿﺮھﺎ ﻣﻦ وﺳﺎﺋﻞ اﻟﺘﯿﺴﯿﺮ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻄﻠﺐ اﻟﻤﺴﺒﻖ‬ component, the meeting will continue in-person. अनवु ◌ाद र अ6य आवसह अ'-म अनरोधपचत ◌ु उपल5ध Application materials may be viewed by appointment at: हु6छ। Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, Interpretação e outras adaptações estão 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 disponíveis mediante solicitação prévia. between 8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Përkthimi dhe akomodime të tjera janë në dispozicion me kërkesë paraprake. For more information concerning this meeting, please contact the Kasa nkyerɛaseɛ ɛne akwanya afoforɔ da hɔ Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, by email at ma wɔn a wɔn bɛ bisa ato hɔ. Parks@worcesterma.gov or phone at 508-799-1190. Please send Phiên dịch và các hỗ trợ khác có sẵn theo written comments 3 business days or more in advance of the meeting. yêu cầu trước. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please reach out to the staff contact listed. While boards and commissions do their best to accommodate you, certain accommodations may not be DI V IS IO N S TA F F available if requested within short notice of the scheduled meeting. Requests for American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 Robert C. Antonelli Jr. Commissioner business days or more in advance of the meeting. Jeffery Tomanio, Parks & Recreation Para más información sobre esta reunión, comuníquese con el Coordinator Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, Hope Cemetery Division Mily Pacheco, Staff Assistant III por correo electrónico al correo Parks@worcesterma.gov o por teléfono Melissa Richford, Principal Clerk al 508-799-1190. Envíe sus comentarios por escrito 3 días hábiles o Scott Morin, Director of Maintenance más antes de la reunión. Si necesita adaptaciones razonables para participar en la reunión, comuníquese con el contacto del personal John Grant, General Foreman indicado en la lista. Aunque las juntas y comisiones hacen todo lo 1 U P CO MI N G M EE TI N GS posible para atenderle, algunas adaptaciones podrían no estar OCTOBER 16, 2025 disponibles si se solicitan con poca anticipación a la reunión programada. Las solicitudes de interpretación de lenguaje de señas NOVEMBER 20, 2025 estadounidense deben hacerse 10 días hábiles o más antes de la reunión. DECEMBER 18, 2025 1. Call to Order – 6:30 PM 2. Attendance (Roll Call) 3. Acceptance of Minutes (May 8, 2025 & June 12, 2025) 4. Public Participation There will be a two (2) hour time limit for this meeting unless a majority of the commission members present vote to extend the allotted time. 5. Public Participation (Agenda Items); A person may speak for no more than three (3) minutes in total on any item appearing on the agenda. 6. Commissioner Report a) NA 7. Old Business The individual / organization / group who has placed an item on the agenda may speak for no more than five (5) minutes in total on the item they have submitted. a) NA 8. New Business Agenda items must be submitted three (3) business days before each Commission meeting with subject line “Agenda Item” to Parks@worcesterma.gov and reply satisfactorily to any required follow-up requests sent by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The individual / organization / group who has placed an item on the agenda may speak for no more than five (5) minutes in total on the item they have submitted. a) Request of District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero- Carlson to begin the naming process of the playground at East Park (Cristoforo Colombo Park) in honor of Gary Vecchio. b) Request of Commissioner Stratton for an update on the Elm Park Playground. c) Request of Commissioner Stratton to update the Commission on the work of the Community Preservation Committee. 2  d) Request of Commissioner Turner to discuss Issues at Beaver Brook Park 9. Tabled Business To take an item off the table, a motion must be made by a member of the Commission, seconded and approved by a majority vote of the members present. The item can then be discussed at the next meeting a) NA 10. Meeting Adjourned (Roll Call) 3  September 10, 2025 City Hall Room 310 455 Main Street Worcester, MA 01608 Office: 508–799-1049 Candy F. Mero-Carlson Fax: 508–799-1194 District 2 City Councilor Mero-CarlsonC@WorcesterMA.gov Robert C. Antonelli Jr. Commissioner, Parks Department 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 Dear Commissioner Antonelli, As District 2 City Councilor, I write to you today expressing my support for the playground at East Park to be named after Gary Vecchio, a man whose dedication and selfless contributions have profoundly impacted the City of Worcester. Gary Vecchio was a lifelong Worcester resident, having attended Adams Street school, North High, and then graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Worcester State University. Gary’s contributions to the City knew no bounds. Gary was appointed to numerous boards and commissions including the Worcester Parks Commission, Citizen Advisory Council, the Mayor’s Task Force on Tax Policy, CSX Advisory Committee, and the Eastside Community Development Corporation. His appointment to the Worcester School Committee was valuable for the recommendation of Superintendent candidates for the Worcester schools from 1981 to 1993. During this time Gary did not rest on his laurels as he was instrumental in fighting against the Worcester State Hospital closure and helped build the Worcester Recovery Center. His dedication to those stricken with mental health illnesses landed Gary another appointment to the UMass/Worcester State Hospital Advisory Committee. Until his dying day, Gary led the Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association which he co- founded in 2001, earning him the title “Mayor of Shrewsbury Street.” Gary’s commitment to the community was truly unparalleled and may never be replicated. I respectfully request full consideration of this proposal to name the East Park Playground after Gary Vecchio, a man who uplifted generations of Worcester residents. Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to working with you on this endeavor. Sincerely, Candy F. Mero-Carlson Worcester City Councilor – District 2 City of Worcester • 455 Main Street • Worcester, MA 01608-1892 Office: 508–799-1049 • Fax: 508–799-1194 • www.WorcesterMa.gov N EWS City: Elm Park playground to close again due to contractor error Fix will be made at no additional cost, city says. Toni Caushi Worcester Telegram & Gazette WORCESTER The playground at Elm Park will be closed again for additional — work because a contractor improperly installed a safety surface, the city said. The playground will close for repairs Friday, Sept. 12, the city said in a statement that urged residents to instead use playgrounds at Wetherell Estate, Beaver Brook and Coes parks. The Elm Park playground is expected to reopen in early fall. The city said a new surface was ordered and repairs v.rill be made at no cost to the municipality. Safety surfaces at playgrounds are usually made of rubber, synthetic turf and engineered wood fiber or mulch. City spokesperson Thomas Matthews said in an email that the safety surfacing was not installed as required in the contract during playground renovations this summer. Matthews added that Softline Solutions, which had been subcontracted by general contractor HM Nunes & Sons Constructing for the work, had built the safety surface up to the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials and guidelines of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. However, the work was not on par with the city’s specifications, which Matthews said are stricter. The issue was not a matter of “how it looks or feels under foot,” Matthews wrote. “It is how it was installed and what the testing reports back to the city,” he said. “There was not enough depth of product to meet the city requirement. Softline Solutions could not be immediately reached for comment. The playground was closed when the city started renovations April 30 and reopened in late June, about a month ahead of its July31 reopening date. Matthews said the cost of the safety surface for the playground and other amenities, such as new swings, a playground for toddlers and play panels. was $613,000, but the repairs on the safety surface will be done at no cost. Throughout the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 8, the playground was accessible as usual, populated with children who made use of the slides and swings while parents watched on.