Park Commission previews draft recreation master plan

Other Committee · Meeting of July 30, 2026

MILTON — The Milton Park Commission heard a draft recreation master plan showing the town's athletic fields are maxed out and need three to four new multipurpose fields. Consultant Ryan Morrison of Tighe & Bond told the commission a 1,300-respondent survey found 80.28 percent support for more fields, and that converting natural turf to lighted synthetic turf, as proposed at Lower Guile Field and Flatley Field, would add roughly four fields to the town's inventory. Morrison said "the existing system is operating at or above capacity," and ruled out Kelly Field, Pierce Middle School, the high school's Middle Guile Field and an undeveloped Access Road parcel as expansion sites due to cost, topography or scheduling conflicts.

Andrews Park drainage upgrades have already advanced into Community Preservation Act funding; the $200,000 Kelly Field dugout project and a proposed $450,000 Brooks Field lighting project were cited as recent capital spending. Residents pressed the commission on pickleball court placement, dog waste on fields and gaps in town communication outreach.

In the full story:

• Introduction and Purpose of the Forum
• Field Conditions and Survey Findings
• Field Inventory and Coach Interviews
• Needs Assessment and Turf Strategy
• Sites Evaluated and Not Advanced
• Andrews Park and Flatley Field Conceptual Plans
• Softball and Baseball Capacity
• Pickleball Court Location Debate
• DCR Partnership and Dog Park Discussion
• Communication and Public Engagement
• Lighting Costs
• Next Steps
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,241 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.