ARHS track and field project finally out to bid as Town Council OKs additional $800K

The Amherst Regional High School varsity athletic field and six-lane track, with some repair patches visible in lane four in May 2022.

The Amherst Regional High School varsity athletic field and six-lane track, with some repair patches visible in lane four in May 2022. STAFF FILE PHOTO

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 01-24-2025 8:58 PM

AMHERST — Rebuilding Amherst Regional High School’s track and its interior field, both in poor condition and identified as priorities for replacement in a town study released more than six years ago, should be underway by late June, shortly after the school year ends.

An advertisement seeking bidders to handle the estimated $4.47 million project to renovate the latex-covered asphalt track, constructed in 1999, was recently issued by the regional schools, with bids due on Jan. 29 — and if a qualified low bidder is identified, bringing long-awaited upgrades a step closer.

Since 2018, Amherst Regional has been unable to host home track meets, and student-athletes on various teams have expressed concern about the field’s grass surface, which is often wet and has been described by one student as having “never-ending divots and holes.” Soccer players and others have reported twisted ankles and other injuries due to the field’s condition.

On Jan. 13, the Town Council authorized an additional $800,000 in spending from the town’s Community Preservation Act account that will supplement the $3.71 million previously secured for the project. That money includes $110,500 in CPA funding from Pelham and $136,000 in CPA finding from Shutesbury, approved by voters at Town Meetings, while $176,000 in CPA is being sought from Leverett at its annual Town Meeting this spring.

The project will include an eight-lane track and an grass interior field in a north-south orientation, a change from its current orientation, along with a second grass playing field to the west of the track.

Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek and Bob Peirent, the special capital projects manager for the town, have been shepherding the project forward, with assistance from school officials.

“They really worked hard on this and came up with a plan that is flexible,” said District 5 Councilor Bob Hegner, who chairs the Finance Committee. That committee recommended the project, noting that even should money run out, elements can be postponed, such as lighting and sidewalks.

Ziomek said if there remain gaps in funding, there are avenues to seek more money.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

‘There’s a majesty to grief’: Poet and UMass professor Peter Gizzi wins prestigious 2024 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry
Taylor Davis Landscaping & Construction faces $42K in fines from MassDEP
Deerfield woman detained following arrest at Capitol
Hadley’s geothermal plans for Hopkins Academy spike in cost to $9.5M
Rising to the challenge: Federal, state officials briefed on $90M fix for Hadley’s dike, levee system
Commenters spring to Amherst superintendent’s defense before school board

Kevin Fuselier at SLR Consulting of Agawam was hired to develop the final plans.

During a community Cuppa Joe meeting last week, Ziomek said the hope is to have the main field ready to be used by teams in the spring of 2026. “It’s a very aggressive timeline,” Ziomek said.

But he cautioned that things can change, especially when involving seeding a field. “Weather is always a factor with an outdoor property,” Ziomek said.

Already, there is talk about adjusting various sports schedules depending on when the fields will be ready and when construction will be happening.

Ziomek said he continues to talk to the regional school officials and the Department of Public Works about maintenance of the track and field to ensure that it doesn’t fall further into disrepair. There have been frequent concerns with the water table at the high school.

The final appropriation and the seeking of bids brings to a close a lengthy process that included significant debate about the interior playing field using a synthetic surface and concerns about PFAS, or forever chemicals. The Hurricane Boosters fundraising campaign was largely contingent on that artifical turf surface.