On Sept. 27, voters will be asked to authorize the purchase of land on Old Mill Road for another athletic field. While appealing at first glance, the facts show this project is unnecessary and expensive.
Harvard’s school enrollment has held steady at about 1,000 students for more than a decade, slightly below 2015 levels. The town’s population has grown by only about 200 residents, now just over 7,000. Field use can feel tight at peak times, but participation in youth sports has not increased. In my opinion this is a scheduling and management issue—not a capacity crisis.
Meanwhile, the average property tax on a single family home in Harvard has risen 47% in the past decade, from $9,301 to $13,680, according to the Department of Revenue.
Asking residents to take on millions more for a field that may sit underused is fiscally irresponsible. We must prioritize needs over wants when families are already struggling with rising costs.
Although a consulting firm recommended new fields, their projections are not supported by enrollment or population trends. The town should find a better solution instead of building a costly new field.
Participation is already declining in several sports. As the Harvard Press reported in “Fields ready, players prepare for the 2025 fall season”: “Bromfield could not field a junior varsity field hockey team this year. Six of its 17 varsity players are graduating, and only nine middle schoolers signed up. Hudson, a league member, canceled its team entirely.” In girls’ soccer, even the JV team is short. According to the mother of a JV girls’ soccer team member, coaches have had to pull in eighth-graders, and even sixth-graders may be needed just to field teams.
The town already approved $2 million at the May Town Meeting for Harvard Park and McCurdy Track. Developing Old Mill Road could exceed another $2 million. That means taxpayers would be committing to more than $4 million in new recreation spending.
This proposal lacks urgency, justification, and fiscal sense. The voters rejected it at Spring Town Meeting for lack of fiscal clarity. With more information, it is clear this remains an irresponsible fiscal proposal.
Haofang Yu
Old Mill Road
