Park and Recreation Commission defers dog leash and BFRT sculpture votes to August

SUDBURY -- July 28, 2025, Sudbury Park and Recreation Commission defers dog and rail trail sculpture votes, eyes Sept. 21 CPC deadline. Commissioners pushed both decisions to Aug. 25 after determining they needed accessibility and movability input from Combined Facilities Director Sandra Duran on a proposed Broadacres siting for a 1,000-pound iron sculpture commissioned by the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Director Dennis Mannone reported the renovated SMILE playground at Haskell Field reopened mid-July, with the final invoice around $252,000 against a $285,000 CPC appropriation, leaving roughly $30,000 unspent for a possible phase two seeking shade structure and ADA play element. Member Ben Carmel warned that missing the September CPC window means "three years with a giant wood fiber hole in the playground." Assistant Town Manager Victor Garofalo said the field enterprise fund ended fiscal 2025 with about $114,000 in retained earnings, with $40,000 to $50,000 already drawn to balance fiscal 2026. The commission also approved five sets of backlog minutes, 5-0.