7:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Soft Opening Celebration, Wednesday, July 11, 2018
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
The City of Cambridge invites you to celebrate the reopening of the perimeter of Sacramento Field, including the basketball court, loop pathway, seating areas, nature-based play area, and tot lot. Come celebrate with your neighbors and enjoy food, music, entertainment, and family-fun activities including: juggling, balloon creations, and magic tricks. Note: in order for the grass to properly take root and withstand the intense use expected, the field area will remain fenced off until the beginning of the 2018 school year.
Rain Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2018
December 16, 2016 Update: Final Design Concept for Sacramento Field
We are pleased to share that the City, working with the Agassiz community, has resolved outstanding issues over the design concept for the renovation of Sacramento Field. The formal bid process will proceed in order for the renovation to be completed in the coming year. The City appreciates the time and effort the neighborhood has committed to the process, and we look forward to delivering a great neighborhood park to be enjoyed by all.
We have provided a link to a memo that highlights the design changes that were made to the plan as a result of the November 9th community meeting. The memo also includes a list of other commitments the City has made throughout the process. Click here to read the memo outlining the design changes to the plan and the City's commitments moving forward.
November 9 2016 Upcoming Meeting of Interest
7:00 P. M. to 8:30 P. M. at the Maria L. Baldwin School Cafeteria, 85 Oxford Street
The City of Cambridge and the Agassiz Neighborhood Council invite you to a presentation of the proposed design concept for the renovation of Sacramento Field. City staff will facilitate a community conversation about the design concept and respond to questions and concerns that have emerged about the different elements of the plan including the loop pathway and lighting around the field.
Given a number of concerns expressed about the proposed design, the City has extended the formal bid time for one month to allow further public discussion. Following this meeting and any design changes made as an outcome of these discussions, the park bid process will proceed in order to complete the renovation in the coming year.
September 29 Update: Completion of Design Phase
Completion of Sacramento Field Design Concept- Click Here to View Plan
The design phase for the Sacramento Field renovations is complete. Considerable changes have been made to the concept plan as a result of public input that led to thoughtful revisions. The current concept addresses the majority of community interests and needs that were identified over the course of a yearlong public process.
In recent weeks, staff have met in small groups and neighborhood settings to work through a few remaining issues in order for the project to go out to bid at the beginning of October. We hope you agree that this has been a fair and responsive process, and that we have arrived at a concept that will produce an outstanding neighborhood park. Below you may find a summary of the decisions, concerning the accessible loop path and lighting, followed by a summary of the plan. Many thanks to all those who participated in the design discussions – and we look forward to a new neighborhood park following construction this coming year.
Accessible Loop Path - Incorporating Universal Design
On the issue of providing an accessible loop path, we consulted the City’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities to understand what the appropriate accessibility measures would be for a renovation of this type.. It is evident that the loop path provides an important opportunity to achieve Universal Design by way of: 1) formalizing an existing desire line; 2) creating a recreational element in its own right that provides an enjoyable circulation pattern around the park; and 3) representing a “path of travel” providing essential connections to other park features. In keeping with the City’s longstanding practice, our consistent intention has been that the loop path should be constructed as an accessible path to ensure that the City extends recreational opportunities to all, regardless of varied physical ability.
Lighting Installation
The design goal for lighting the path is to balance safety considerations while minimizing late night activity. It should be noted that the designated park hours for Sacramento Field will continue to be from dawn to dusk. We will install the lighting along all pathways, at a level necessary for basic safety and visibility, without encouraging off-hours activity. With the flexibility afforded by the newer computer controlled, shielded LED lighting system that we are now using in our parks, we feel confident we can work with Agassiz neighbors to agree to a lighting concept that provides a minimal amount of illumination while balancing public safety. We have committed to a process for the lighting that will have the lights begin at very low levels to start, followed by a meeting with our electrical department and residents on site right after installation. This discussion will include customizing a range of possible options, including seasonal and time of day variations - and to verify that there aren't any major problems with trespass onto adjacent properties.
A Summary of the Plan - Commitments Moving Forward
The City is committed to making the following improvements and enhancements to Sacramento Field as part of the renovation process.
- Two Park Entrances: To create two entrances to the park that are visible, accessible, safe and well-identified by park signage providing a convenient way for the neighborhood to access the park.
- Open Space: To preserve the openness of the field to support a variety of active and passive activities. Staff met with Cambridge Youth Soccer (CYS) leadership on multiple occasions to understand space needs for both games and informal soccer practice. The design concept will be able to meet youth soccer field space needs as confirmed by CYS leadership.
- Enclosed Tot Lot and Entrance Gates: Commitment to include a 20 x 40 ft. enclosed flat toddler play area to accommodate younger children that includes seating, a sand play area and an additional infant and toddler play structure that includes a slide, cleated toddler incline, toddler stairs, steering wheel, mirrored panel, and deck with covering. Additional commitment to add gates upon entry to the field at both park entrances.
- Nature-based Play Area: To include a reimagined natural-based play area that achieves a less artificial look. The design will be able to accommodate winter sledding.
- Sitting areas and other Park Amenities: To provides amenities that currently do not exist including seating and tables, bike parking, message board, historical marker, benches, and a water fountain.
- Commitments to Sacramento Community Garden: The square footage loss from the community garden for the new path will be replaced with an equivalent amount of area at the back of the garden. Selective tree pruning management over a period of several years will be undertaken by the City Arborist, including removal of the mulberry tree. In addition, there will be new garden fencing and gates, water spigot, message board, and raised planter beds. Sequencing of improvements will be carefully worked out in advance with gardeners.
- Landscaping Improvements: To incorporate landscaping improvements with native tree plantings as well as buffer planting of shrubs and vines to visually soften the edges, create shade, attract birds, and give more privacy to abutters
- Multi-Use Hard Surface Ball Court: To resurface and re-line the court, replace the timber retaining wall with masonry wall, and fencing.
- Off-Leash Shared Use Hours: To pilot off-leash hours that will allow for dogs to be off leash during designated morning hours (dogs and owners must be in compliance with the City’s off-leash regulations).
- Drainage and Storm Water Management Improvements: The City will ensure that when the field is redone, it will have grades that better cooperate with the catch basins, e.g. a crown in the center of the field to take water to basins better. In addition, DPW has renewed a commitment to maintain the nine catch basins on a regular schedule.
August 2016: Current Concept Design
July 11 Update: Revised Concept Design
Since the May 4th community meeting and the subsequent open houses, there have been additional modifications to the design concept based on community input.
Upcoming Community Open Houses
Join us at our upcoming open houses for the community to view the revised concept plan for the renovation of Sacramento Field. To view the revised design, please click on the "Documents" tab.
The modified concept design that will be presented is a follow up to what was heard at the second community meeting and the feedback thereafter. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and take comments. We are hosting open houses on the following dates:
- Wednesday, June 22nd from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at the Alden Playground on the corner of Sacramento Street and Oxford Street (weather permitting)
- Tuesday, June 28th from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Maud Morgan Arts Center, 20 Sacramento Street, we will be setting up outside. If there is inclement weather, we will move into the 2D Arts Studio.
Also, we would like to recognize that after the second community meeting, there were a few additional issues raised. Under the "documents" tab there is a memorandum that was shared with the City Council concerning a number of questions. We hope this information clarifies the recent questions regarding the process and specific topic concerns. We look forward to seeing you at the open houses.
Sacramento Field Design Concept
The design concept presented Wednesday, May 4th is now posted to the webpage. To view the design, please click on the "Documents" tab. If you would like to comment on the design, but were unable to make it to the meeting, you may submit feedback by email or by phone. Go to "Contact" tab for contact information.
Community Meeting #2, Wednesday, May 4, 2016
6:30 P. M. to 8:00 P. M.
Maria L. Baldwin School Cafeteria
85 Oxford Street, Cambridge
The Community Development Department will be hosting the second community meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. in the Maria L. Baldwin School Cafeteria. The meeting will consist of a presentation of the preliminary design plan followed by public comment and discussion.
Community Meeting Monday, December 7, 2015
6:30 P. M. to 8:00 P. M.
Maria L. Baldwin School Cafeteria
85 Oxford Street, Cambridge
The Community Development Department will be hosting a community meeting on Monday, December 7, 2015 to discuss the renovation of Sacramento Field from 6:30P.M. to 8:00P.M. at the Maria L. Baldwin School on 85 Oxford Street in Cambridge. The meeting will consist of a presentation on the park renovation process followed by a facilitated discussion, which will be an opportunity for the public to share ideas on park improvements.