The bulk of Fall Town Meeting on Oct. 21 was consumed by the four articles dedicated to the town’s MBTA Communities Law compliance effort.
It was nearly 11:30 p.m. when the assembly turned its attention to the only other item that was discussed on the floor, the appropriation of $3 million for the construction of eight new tennis courts at Needham High School, which was ultimately approved.
A similar article had been planned for Annual Town Meeting back in May, but it was not included on that warrant because the Planning Board was not able to finalize its required approval. There were extended discussions at three Planning Board public hearings where it faced considerable opposition from abutters. This included calls to reduce the number of courts and spare a swath of green space that would be lost to make room for four new additional courts.
It wasn’t until July that the Planning Board voted to approve the required special permit for the project, an approval that was accompanied by alterations to the original plans. Those changes included an agreement to not allow pickleball to be played at the site, the addition of shade trees and other mitigations to lessen the impact on neighbors.
With the neighbors’ concerns having largely been addressed, the Town Meeting article eventually passed by an overwhelming voice vote. Still, there were some dissenting voices during nearly 45 minutes of discussion.
Both the Community Preservation Committee, which is providing the bulk of the $3 million, and the Park & Recreation Commission, which will manage the courts, introduced the article.
Keith LaFace, a member of the CPC, acknowledged that the $3 million price tag was hefty. He said it was driven largely by the decision to use a post-tension concrete surface instead of asphalt. He explained that post-tension concrete tennis courts are more durable and last significantly longer than asphalt.
“Although the upfront cost is higher, the material will require much less maintenance over the years, saving the town money in the long run,” LaFace explained, adding that the surface will also be smoother than asphalt.
Chris Gerstel, chair of the Park & Rec Commission, noted that facilities for the high school tennis teams are long overdue for attention. “The high school tennis courts have not had any type of renovation since the high school was renovated,” he said of the courts, which have been in such disrepair that they are not used for the teams’ matches.
Cathy Dowd spoke to offer the Select Board’s support of the article. “I think we can all tell from the emails that we’ve gotten over the last couple of days that tennis is a very popular sport in Needham,” said Dowd.
“This will benefit players of all ages, not only the high school, but kids in the recreational programs. And everybody else who is playing for fun on the courts will have more access.”
Multiple speakers echoed Dowd’s remarks and more than one noted that tennis courts are in short supply in town.
“I just wanted to clarify there are only 12 public tennis courts in Needham,” said Michael Cooper, a Town Meeting member from Precinct A. “Four of the courts are used almost exclusively by pickleball, so that leaves eight. Of the eight, there are restrictions on all of them.”
One group Town Meeting did not hear from were members of Needham High’s tennis teams and the boys’ varsity coach, Drew Lawrence. They sat through four hours of the meeting but were not allowed to speak because none are registered voters in Needham.
“Sorry,” said Moderator Michael Fee when they came to the microphone to speak. “Only registered Needham voters are allowed to address Town Meeting.” Asked by a Town Meeting member to make an exception, Fee declined, saying, “No, then I would have to change it for everybody. So, no.”
Town officials said they notified the team members ahead of the meeting that they would not be allowed to speak.
The most prominent dissent came from Joe Matthews, a Rosemary Street resident and TM member from Precinct I. “This is a big ask,” he said of the $3 million price tag.
He pushed back on the stated need for an eight-court array, noting that six is the more common setup at high school facilities. He also said the green space that would be lost to accommodate four of the new courts has long been used by a variety of different school and community groups.
Noting that the design made a concerted effort to avoid the loss of parking spaces at the high school, he said, “I’ve been surprised at how much the school community and Park & Rec have fought for parking over green space.”
Because Town Meeting rules did not allow the article to be amended (due to the use of Community Preservation Act funds), Matthews instead made a motion to refer the article back for further study. This would have delayed action to May 2025 and possibly altered the plans. The motion was soundly defeated and the article was passed by a near-unanimous voice vote.
The $3 million appropriation will come from multiple sources – $1.1 million from the CPA General Reserve; $1.1 million from the Athletic Facility Stabilization Fund; $500,000 from the Overlay Surplus; and $300,000 from CPA Free Cash.
The project also includes improved stormwater management, fencing upgrades and ADA-accessible walkways. It is anticipated the courts will be completed in time for the spring 2026 NHS tennis season.
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