Milton residents are signaling overwhelming support for expanding the town’s athletic footprint, with a recent community survey revealing that 82 percent of respondents favor the town acquiring more land for recreational fields. The findings, presented by consulting firm Tighe & Bond during a Wednesday night meeting, underscore a growing crisis of space that has local coaches canceling practices and some families fleeing to private travel leagues to find adequate facilities.

The survey, which collected 1,315 responses between December and March, found that while Milton’s existing parks are generally well-managed, they are suffering from extreme overuse. Tighe & Bond planner Ally Cook noted that the respondent pool was heavily driven by local families, stating that almost 80% of respondents were parents or guardians of youth athletes. Soccer emerged as the activity with the highest participation at 58 percent, followed closely by baseball and softball. However, the high volume of play on natural grass has left many facilities in rough shape. Ryan Morrison of Tighe & Bond explained that the town’s fields are currently used from the end of the school day until dark, leaving no time for the turf to recover. You need more field space to support the demand before you can truly fix the maintenance issues, Morrison told the commissioners, adding that if you lose the turf in the spring due to rain and heavy use, you won't get it back until the fall.

The shortage has become so acute that local leagues are reportedly stunting their own growth. Morrison shared feedback from one-on-one meetings with league leaders, noting that coaches are frequently forced to cancel practices just to fit in scheduled games. This lack of practice time is hurting the competitiveness of Milton youth as they age, according to the report. Beyond the grass itself, maintenance issues have taken a peculiar turn; several coaches reported that they must spend the first 15 minutes of every practice cleaning up pet waste from the athletic fields. Morrison suggested the town may need to explore dedicated dog walking spaces to mitigate the impact on sports surfaces.

To address the capacity gap, 73 percent of survey respondents indicated they are in favor of installing synthetic turf. Morrison highlighted the efficiency of such a move, noting that one synthetic field can replace roughly three natural turf fields in terms of usable hours. Despite the support for expansion, Parks Commissioner Rob Lee emphasized that the town is taking a measured approach before committing significant taxpayer or Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. Lee explained that the commission recently paused a $300,000 soccer field project at Andrews Park to ensure it aligns with the broader master plan. The original basis for getting Tighe & Bond involved was that we knew there was too much programming for our facilities, Lee said. He described a two-prong approach that involves improving existing hubs like Kelly Field and Andrews Park while simultaneously hunting for expansion opportunities through a 10-year master plan.

The financial side of these improvements remains a primary concern for the commission. While the Community Preservation Committee has recently funded smaller projects like dugouts at Kelly Field and LED lighting at the high school, larger acquisitions or multi-million dollar renovations will require broader support. Recreation Director Kevin Demano defended the town’s current fee structure but noted that sports organizations have stepped up to help fund recent upgrades. We keep the fee low to not burden parents, but for CPA projects like the lighting, baseball and softball groups did kick in additional funds, Demano said. One resident suggested that local organizations might be willing to pay even higher player fees if it meant more accountability and faster progress on field projects.

Commissioners Ted and Carolyn were also present for the discussion, which touched on the potential for public-private partnerships. Some residents and board members raised the possibility of the town acquiring or partnering to use land currently held by private entities, such as the St. Mary’s property. Lee noted the legal challenges of using public funds on private land but expressed a desire to get creative with such partnerships. Guest speaker Colleen also encouraged the town to approach private schools and religious organizations about fundraisers and shared use agreements.

While the focus was largely on active sports, some attendees advocated for better balance with passive recreation. One resident noted a lack of coverage for areas like Turner’s Pond and Pope’s Pond in the survey. Morrison responded that while the current survey was recreation-heavy due to the field crisis, those passive areas would be integrated into the final Open Space and Recreation Plan. The commission expects to present a draft facilities report to the town soon, with a formal discussion scheduled for Town Meeting on May 6 and a final report due by the end of May. No motions were taken during the session.