Parents Question New Stony Brook Playground Contributions

BREWSTER – A new playground is in the works at Stony Brook Elementary School with multiple funding sources, but some parents are questioning if some community organizations are contributing enough. 

Last year, the Nauset Youth Alliance gifted Stony Brook Elementary $410,000 to help with a new playground. With considerable needs like roofing upgrades and HVAC replacements in the pipeline, Principal Keith Gauley suggested using the funds to replace the 25-year old playground. Gauley was worried a new playground would become less of a priority with the repairs looming.

The playground sits just outside of the elementary school abutting the Brewster Whitecaps’ field. It is in use more or less constantly by students as well as summer game attendees. 

The playground committee, comprised of NYA officials, Brewster parents, Stony Brook administrators, recreation department members, Brewster town officials and school committee members, was tasked with rebuilding the playground with accessible features, updating the equipment, repaving the basketball court, including more grass areas for activities like soccer, adding poured-in-place walkways and replacing the current netting that is used to keep kids safe from foul balls during baseball games. 

After surveying the community, meeting with a design team and finalizing the project plans last year, the committee presented plans to the recreation department and select board and received unanimous support. 

With a few cost-reducing modifications, the projected cost came in at just under $860,000, a number many agreed was on the lower end for a project of this magnitude. 

On Feb. 12, David Rost, the former director of NYA, school committee chair Katie Jacobus and vice chair Carol Jelinek went before the community preservation committee to present an application seeking $500,000 to cover the project’s costs above the Nauset Youth Alliance contribution. 

During the presentation, it was made clear that the netting would be a permanent installation, which is a new feature for the playground. In previous years, the Whitecaps were responsible for installing the netting at the beginning of the season and removing it at the end of summer. 

CPC vice chair Faythe Ellis asked if there had been any conversations with Whitecaps management regarding their involvement financially, seeing as the playground is a community feature close to the field. 

“Yes, but the reality is the Whitecaps are a nonprofit and they don’t have the funding for a project like this,” said Rost. “They are supportive of it and would like to see it happen.”

In an email, a Brewster parent expressed concern about the lack of financial contribution from the team since the netting is a safety necessity because of the baseball field. 

Jacobus said the school committee has had multiple conversations with the Whitecaps and will continue to explore if the team would like to be more involved in the project. 

Whitecaps President Luke Dillon said the board of directors is currently looking at ways to help to fundraise for the project. 

“They’re fully aware that we are a nonprofit and we rely on donations from our fans to put on what we think is a very good product for the town,” Dillon said. “Our mission is to provide an entertaining, inexpensive way for people of all ages to enjoy collegiate baseball at a very high level. We don’t charge anything. But at the same time, we’re looking to help them and we’re exploring different ways we might be able to do that.” 

The CPC unanimously supported the application, which was updated to $550,000 by the end of the presentation to account for possible tariffs and increases in material costs. If the funding doesn’t cover the project once construction starts, the key players agreed to fundraise for the remaining amount. 

CPC funds are subject to a town meeting vote on May 5.