Efforts to improve the town’s athletic fields continued this month as Barrington officials met with firms hired to study the field maintenance program. They also met with another company hired to explore the feasibility of building an athletic field house in Barrington. 

In May, the Barrington Town Council approved a $79,950 bid to Victus Advisors of Park City, Utah to “evaluate the need, demand, economics, site, and building options for a new recreation center/field house.”

The Council also approved a $69,750 bid to Traverse of Providence, to provide a thorough and detailed evaluation of Barrington’s athletic fields and areas where the town could improve its facilities.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey said the town has already provided Victus with additional background information. Officials from the Utah-based firm visited Barrington in the spring and conducted stakeholder interviews. Victus representatives met with various town officials, Barrington High School Director of Athletics George Finn, leaders of youth sports leagues in Barrington, and some people representing adult sports groups, such as pickle ball, basketball and tennis. 

The interviews took place June 7 and 8. 

Hervey said Victus has continued to reach out to collect more data and input from the town. He said they are also researching and analyzing comparable facilities in the region. 

In late June, Barrington officials (Hervey, the DPW’s Alan Corvi, John Renquinha and Colin O’Hara, and Recreation Department Director Michele Geremia) met with representatives from Traverse Landscape Architecture and their subcontractor, athletic fields expert Tom Irwin Advisors. 

Traverse focused much of its interview on the town’s field maintenance practices and field reservation system, where sports leagues work with town officials to schedule the use of certain athletic fields. 

Traverse also toured the Barrington Department of Public Works garage to view the materials and equipment the town uses to maintain the athletic fields. 

Officials also conducted visits to Chianese Park athletic fields, Barrington Middle School, Haines Park, St. Andrew’s Farm Field, Sherwood Park and Barrington High School. 

Hervey said representatives from Traverse and Tom Irwin Advisors will be back in Barrington in the near future to conduct an assessment of the quality of the playing surfaces of all fields in town (not just those toured during the initial visit) and check on site conditions including ADA compliance, field layouts, and more. 

Hervey said the final reports — one for field maintenance and a second for the field house feasibility — will not be completed until October or November. 

He added that the fields and field house work will remain a standing item on the Council’s meeting agendas.