Park Commission tables backup CPA funding plan
The Groton Park Commission voted 2-1 to table a backup Community Preservation Act funding application until September 28, after a public hearing on a $3.9 million plan to rebuild parking and access at the town's ball fields.
Park Commission · Meeting of September 14, 2026
GROTON — The Groton Park Commission voted 2-1 to table a backup Community Preservation Act funding application until September 28, after a public hearing on a $3.9 million plan to rebuild parking and access at the town's ball fields. Chair Mary A. Jennings and consultant Megan Basinski of Activitas said the redesign cuts about $900,000 from a $4.8 million version voters rejected at Spring Town Meeting, funded partly by a $1 million federal grant that expires if unspent by December 2027. Park Commission member John "Jack" Petropoulos proposed a $3.2 million contingency application split into three phases in case the main plan fails at the October 3 Fall Town Meeting, calling it necessary "to break this project up into chunks based on priorities." Member Anna Eliot objected, noting the town's Community Preservation Committee denied a parking-only CPA request in 2014 and warning that "the longer you kick it out, the more you break it up, it creates opportunities" for costs to rise.
An existing access road closes November 1 under a 2009 wetlands obligation, cutting baseball parking access regardless of the town meeting outcome.
In the full story:
- Public Hearing Opens on the Cow Pond Ball Fields Proposal
- The Case for Safety and Access
- Design Changes Cut Cost From $4.8 Million to $3.9 Million
- Environmental Constraints and the November 1 Road Closure
- Funding Structure: Grant, CPA Debt Service and Youth Baseball's Contribution
- Public Comment: Accessibility Praise and Funding-Eligibility Questions
- Park Commission Meeting: Agenda Reordered Ahead of the October 1 Deadline
- The Backup CPA Application and the Three-Phase Debate
- Procedural Outcome: Tabled to September 28
- Routine Business: Minutes and Signing Authority
- Implications and What Is Next
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report: 2,428 words
Source: the Park Commission meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
Members read the rest of this story and every Groton meeting we cover, in full.
Become a memberAlready a member? Sign inA 30-day free trial needs a payment method. After it, your membership renews at the price shown at checkout until you cancel, which you can do anytime from your account. Subscription terms
Share this story
Know someone in Groton who follows town government? Share Townbrief Groton: they can sign up free.