Originally slated to be ready this spring, a long-anticipated playing field in Westbrook will wait until fall to open, allowing city staff more time to work on the playing surface.
The 14-acre field, off Small Hardy Road near the Windham town line, was donated to the city by White Brothers Construction in 2011 for an athletic field.
Since that time, the city has waited for the field to be prepared by White Brothers Construction, and then for the grass to grow and mature. However, growth on the field has proved more difficult than predicted.
Greg Post, Westbrook’s deputy director of community services, said this week that he expects the field to open officially for local sports this fall. The grass is still a little spotty.
“We need to address some of the crabgrass and clover issues, but we’re confident we can correct all of this prior to the fall season,” he said Monday.
Post added that new fields are normally given two “growth cycles” before use.
“We wanted to give the field ample time to settle and compact. It was suggested to us that it get at least 12 months, and now that high school spring sports are complete, we have a bit more time to dedicate resources,” he said.
In the city’s comprehensive plan in 2000, and in a later Draft Open Space Plan in 2009, officials identified a need for recreational open space and playing fields in the northern part of the city.
In August 2011, Mike White announced that White Brothers Construction, which had recently been bought by Lane Construction, would be donating the unused space to the city, as well as donating the work on the site.
Mike White, along with his brother Tim, who died in December 2010, had a history of giving back to the community, including a few years earlier when the brothers donated work on the Westbrook skate park off William Clarke Drive.
In the fall of 2014, Ward 5 City Councilor Mike Sanphy, whose ward includes Small Hardy Road, said that a number of neighboring residents reached out to him with questions about the parcel, its upkeep and status.
Sanphy said a few residents said the field was unkempt, and were concerned that the project had faltered.
Area resident Michael Powers said last week that after the field wasn’t in use this spring, he again thought the city was neglecting it.
“I just think the city should have done something by now,” he said.
Powers said the city mowed the field after he made comments recently on a Westbrook community Facebook page.
Post said this fall, the field may be used for soccer, football, field hockey and other activities.
“This fall, we also plan to recognize those folks, such as Mike White, who made this complex a reality,” he said. “It’s really going to be a great asset for kids and programs in this community.”
At the time of the donation in 2011, Mike White said the property was part of land the company uses to operate a quarry near the Windham town line. While it serves as a buffer between the quarry and nearby residences, he said, it was not part of the quarry itself, and was not used by the company.
The field off Small Hardy Road, which has been delayed by poor growth and weeds, will receive additional attention this summer in order to make it playable in the fall. Courtesy photoSend questions/comments to the editors.
