Adams Parks Commission Questions Use of Renfrew Field
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Parks Commission are concerned about a baseball clinic to be held at Renfrew Park that has not requested facility use.
At Monday's meeting, Commissioner Chairman Todd Shafer said there have been recent advertisements for a four-week baseball clinic for Babe Ruth League players at Renfrew hosted by the North Adams business The Cages at the Mill.
Shafer said they have yet to come before the board with a field use request form and would have do it by next meeting if they want to use the field.
Commissioner James Fassell said the commission should reach out to the business because it should not be exempt from the process.
"I am not saying they should not be allowed to do it. I am just saying that it should be like everyone else," Fassell said. "You have your insurance, you have your people from Adams playing, and where is the money coming from?"
The clinic starts Aug. 3 and runs through the Aug. 30 and costs $100 a player. Shafer said if it is for-profit, the Cages must pay a $600 fee.
"The problem is you can't use our town field as a North Adams business charging people money," he said. "If this is a for profit thing they have to pay the town."
Shafer added that the Cages held the same event last year and did not go before the commission for a facility request form
"They used it last year under the guise of the Babe Ruth League, and they used their key from the Babe Ruth League," Shafer said. "We didn't talk about it last year because it was water under the bridge, but we said we would keep an eye on it."
The commission agreed to reach out to the league and business to make sure they are aware of the process.
Fassell brought up concerns about some of the smaller fields in Adams that the much smaller Department of Public Works does not have time to maintain. He said fields such as Zylonite Field "looks like it could go back to Jurassic Park."
He added the DPW does a great job and people need to understand that with fewer employees and more work, some parks will be ignored.
"They did a great job on the cemeteries, a great job on Renfrew field, and a great job on Russell and Reid, but some other fields don't look so good," Fassell said. "People are going to have to realize that things have changed, and we have to mow the Greylock Glen now ... there is going to be things that aren't going to be done."
The commission agreed to approach the police chief about adding a handicapped parking spot and two elderly parking spots at Valley Street Field.
Tags: parks & rec, parks commission,
