Following a long and costly remediation process, the newly renovated Claxton Field could reopen to the public as early as May.
In 2022, the town began a redesign of Claxton Field with the design and engineering firm Weston & Sampson to create an upgraded space for the Needham High School softball team as well as other town and school sports. The project was delayed due to a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection mandate to cap the soil beneath the field to prevent potential leaching.
The Claxton site, which is directly across Central Avenue from the Needham Recycling and Transfer Station, served for decades as the town’s burn pit before that was closed in 1951. The field was capped, but not lined.
“When you say there’s a burn pit, people go crazy,” said Justin Savignano, the assistant town engineer who oversaw the project. “They see a pile of dirt and think there’s all this contaminated material going everywhere. But while unsuitable, the stuff we were working with was never a major health risk to the community.”
Savignano said the town wanted to ensure it was in compliance with current health and safety regulations to avoid fines and extensive monitoring down the road. The nearly $750,000 process began in August and was completed in December. With the capping and lining complete, the project has moved on to the underground infrastructure, the electrical elements and the concrete pads for Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant walkways. The entire project is projected to cost $3.4 million.
“From here on out it’s going to be more of the topical construction piece,” which includes drainage, plantings, new fencing and dugouts, said Savignano. The final piece, laying the sod, will be weather dependent. “A wet spring will make a wet field and delay the sod getting installed.”
When completed, Claxton Field will feature two new softball fields with LED lighting, upgraded bleacher seating and dugouts, a batting cage and pitching tunnel and a renovated parking lot. The town has also installed an ADA-accessible walking trail around the perimeter of both fields with 233 new plantings, including 76 trees to replace the 52 that had to be removed to effectively cap the area.
This was the last major field renovation in the Department of Public Works’ pipeline, but may not be the last changes at Claxton (see “On deck for Claxton: Pickleball and a skate park”). Savignano said they have been planning ahead and doing any obvious prep work for the site in advance should those projects be approved in the future.
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