Sandwich Road Playing Fields
Location: 890 Sandwich Road, East Falmouth
Applicant: Falmouth Recreation Committee
Allocation: $300,000
Year/Article: April 2006, A32
The Sandwich Road Playing Fields, at 890 Sandwich Road, were created over a nine-year period on Land Bank land using a series of six Community Preservation Grants for a total CPFund contribution of $724,000. Today, the fields are completed and operational, providing a key venue in East Falmouth for basketball, lacrosse, football, and baseball.
In 2002, Town Meeting voted to purchase 14.25 acres of land on Sandwich Road for recreational purposes. In 2006, the Recreation Department submitted the first CPFund grant request in the amount of $300,000 for the cost of clearing the land and preparing it for installation of the playing fields, parking lot, and fencing. Initial work included engineering, tree work, excavation, and rough grading.
In 2007, the Planning Board approved the Town’s “Plan for Recreational Fields off Sandwich Road,” and the Recreation Department applied for and received $185,000 in CPFunds for the next phase of the playing fields development, the installation of infrastructure: underground utilities, a well, drainage, and power. In spring 2008, the Recreation Department received a CPFund grant of $3,500 for the installation of bike racks at the playing fields.
In fall 2008, Town Meeting appropriated $21,000 in CPFunds to the Recreation Department for the installation of an irrigation system for the fields. In 2013, $196,948 in CPFunds were appropriated for installation of the basketball court and an ADA-compliant paved parking lot. In 2015, Town Meeting awarded the Recreation Committee $16,840 in CPFunds for the final component of the playing fields, fencing around the basketball court.
Falmouth Babe Ruth Baseball uses the baseball field as its home field. From April to October, they use it for practice every night and their games are on Saturdays. When they are away, the Falmouth Travel AAU Babe Ruth Baseball teams use the field. In the spring Falmouth Youth Lacrosse uses the football field as its home field from March to mid-August, with nightly practice and Saturday and Sunday games. Falmouth Pop Warner Football begins using the field in mid-August, also as its home field, and finishes the season in November. Neighborhood children and youth use the basketball court after school and on weekends.