To the Editor:
MV@Play has decided to postpone its application before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to give Vineyarders for Grass Fields an opportunity to flesh out its concept and to work with the school committee and administration to determine its viability.
We came together for one purpose — to restore the track and deliver a usable field inside the track to the high school and its student athletes. We were never “turf” people, but came to an organic turf solution, in concert with the school committee, athletic department, and the superintendent’s office, and after consulting with experts, including experts in building and maintaining grass fields.
Nonetheless, this proposal — while currently short of necessary specifics — could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our kids and the community. That’s been MV@Play’s sole purpose from the beginning, and we believe, given the financial commitment implicit in the proposal, it deserves time to be fully vetted.
In addition to postponing our MVC application, we will also provide Vineyarders for Grass Fields the substantial engineering specifications that represent more than $100,000 in savings toward pursuing their goal.
The urgency here is real: A new track must be in place for the spring 2018 season. Track and field athletes and their families and supporters must now travel off-Island for every meet. That’s unacceptable. Therefore, we have decided to step aside for now to allow this Vineyarders for Grass Fields proposal to quickly take shape and commence the public review period.
David Wallis, president
MV@Play