Track and field is the largest Boothbay Region High School athletic program, in terms of student participation, and growing in popularity each year.

However, because there are no track facilities at the high school, track athletes practice in hallways, in parking lots and vie for limited space on fields and in the school’s gymnasium.

For several years, the Community on Track committee has been working to change that.

Last Wednesday in the BRHS auditorium, the committee shared plans to build a track and field complex behind the elementary school, financed entirely by private donations.

Andrew Morley, BRHS Coach Nick Scott and Dana Paolillo said the proposed eight-lane track surrounding a multi-purpose artificial turf field would be a boon to school and community athletic programs and to the community at-large.

The committee has set a $4,000,000 fundraising goal; and Morley and Paolillo alluded to a few major donors that might stimulate significant fundraising.

“We have been contacted by individuals and we are discussing this with some major donors right now,” Paolillo said.

Paolillo said she is also pursuing every grant opportunity she can find to fund equipment and other aspects of the project.

“Our goal is to build this without taxpayer dollars. This is going to take donations from the community as a whole,” Morley said. “But this isn’t going to be built on bake sales and 5ks.”

Scott said the proposed new track complex would provide a safe facility for training track athletes, solve the school field space problems, and would provide a suitable venue for hosting both regional and state championship meets. Scott said no other MVC school has a competitive track facility, and only one school in all of Class C has a suitable track for state meets.

Paolillo said the facility’s ability to draw large athletic events would not only be a boon to the community at large, it would also help to defray facility maintenance costs.

The committee estimates the need to raise about $46,000 per year to generate enough income to replace the field (15-17 year life expectancy) and renovate the facility ($1 million over 30 years).

Morley said annual maintenance of the field would be less than grass fields and would require no additional staff.

Football coach Bryan Dionne said having an artificial turf facility would also benefit other teams, such as football and soccer, which are limited by the availability and condition of grass fields.

Scott said the track would also be available to community members.

“I think it would get a whole lot of use,” he said.

Turf battle

At the forum Eve Conlin raised concerns about the health and environmental consequences of turf fields.

“I think this is a wonderful concept if we could use good old green grass,” Conlin said, after detailing the potential health risks to athletes. “The benefits of turf don’t outweigh the risks.”

Morley addressed a number of concerns raised.

“We investigated this and talked to the coaches and the majority of the committee is in favor,” he said. “None of us would be looking to put something in that would be detrimental to the kids.”

Committee member and elementary school teacher and soccer coach Mame Anthony said she was concerned about turf, as well. Anthony said there is ongoing research into alternative, more environmentally-friendly options to the rubber used in turf fields, and the committee would continue to look at these options.

Her husband, school trustee Kevin Anthony, objected more strenuously.

“We have a huge need for this field, but I don’t think the turf field is the way to go,” he said.

Kevin Anthony read a long list of the chemical, potentially toxic, components in artificial turf.

Paolillo said the committee would continue to research the issue.

“But it’s easier to plan for turf and then change to grass than vice versa,” she said.

Trustee Chris Buchanan said the current design had been considered and approved by the trustees.

“The trustees voted to move forward with the turf,” he said.

Buchanan weighed in again when Morley said the turf field would be used primarily for football.

“It is the trustees position that the field will be for all sports,” Buchanan said.

Next steps

After the meeting, Morley and Paolillo said they could not offer any further details on donors. They said that the committee is not considering other smaller options for the field.

Paolillo said Wednesday’s meeting was held to ensure the community is informed, as plans develop, so if there are any big concerns they are raised and addressed early in the process.

Morley said the committee, if successful with fundraising, hopes to have the facility under construction by fall of 2016.

“We really feel that you will know in a short amount of time if this is a doable project,” he said.