Page 3 - Southborough Final Package

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The Town of Southborough is located in the Eastern portion of the State on Massachusetts, approximately
30 miles west of Boston. The Town was established in 1727, and is part of Worcester County. It has
an area of 15.7 square miles, and an estimated population of approximately 10,000 with a population

density of 620 people per square mile. Southborough has public school system from Kindergarten
through 12th grade, separated into six individual schools. The schools are Mary E. Finn Elementary

School (Kindergarten and 1st grade), Albert S. Woodward Memorial School (grades 2 and 3), Margaret
A. Neary Elementary School (Grades 5 and 6), P. Brent Trottier Middle School (Grades 7 and 8),
Algonquin Regional High School, and Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School. Approximately

32% of the population is under the age of 18, making the school athletic programs and fields an
extremely important aspect of the community. Not only are the school athletic programs extremely

valuable, but there are also many public youth and adult leagues that are run and use the public fields.

Pare Corporation (Pare), along with Birchwood Design Group were retained by the Town of Southborough

to develop an assessment of the recreational facilities. This report discusses the facility needs, and
opportunities to improve existing natural and synthetic turf fields that are to remain, convert natural

fields to synthetic turf, and expand facilities with additional fields or indoor gyms. This is what we will
refer to as the Master Plan. This is important in evaluating the needs, cost, usage and life of the fields
and facilities.

Additionally, a demand assessment analyzing the facilities’ programming has been conducted to

address the activity of the fields and further evaluate the order of demand for improvements. Based on
findings and further coordination with the user groups, conceptual design options along with opinions
of probable cost were developed. The information evaluated to develop a clear picture of existing

conditions includes but is not limited to availability and access to parking, general site constraints, site
accessibility, condition of existing facilities, turf surface quality and age, desired pedestrian routes,

availability of drainage and utilities, sub-surface soil conditions, wetland resource areas and expansion
of facilities.

SOUTHBOROUGH ATHLETIC MASTER PLAN

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