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Lynn DPW Commissioner Andrew Hall will “strongly oppose” the future use of McManus Field for carnivals.
The muddy ruts and torn-up grass on McManus Field’s Commercial Street side were hard to miss.
Andrew Hall, the Department of Public Works commissioner, moved quickly to ensure an insurance bond posted by carnival operators using the field last week will pay to repair it.
Hall also said he will “strongly oppose” the park’s future use by carnivals. End of story, right? Not quite. The decision by city officials to allow the field to be exposed in the first place to potential damage questions the need for a fail-safe review process of public spaces.
Located on the edge of West Lynn neighborhoods and recently refurbished at substantial cost to the city, McManus Field attracts residents who use the space for pick-up soccer games to joyful games of tag. Like Barry Park and Lynn Common, the field is a place where Lynn residents, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and national origins, have fun together.
There is nothing wrong with the city hosting a carnival to benefit local fundraising causes and offering some evening fun. But the damage done to McManus Field last week suggests the site was the wrong location for a well-attended public event.
The city’s success in raising its profile and appeal, thanks to Veterans Memorial Auditorium’s popularity, means more public venues are likely to come to Lynn. Carnivals are semi-regular events. But how prepared will city officials be when someone proposes hosting a mountain bike race or large-scale run in Lynn Woods? How well will they work with state and town officials in the event a triathlon featuring a swim from Lynn Beach to Egg Rock is proposed?
A multi-ethnic mid-summer Common fair or festival has a great ring to it. But could the city successfully host that type of event while preserving the Common’s physical integrity and keeping trash and trouble out of adjoining neighborhoods?
The McManus field lesson is important because it demands that officials review policies for approving and setting conditions on events, like carnivals, proposed within city limits. An important policy component is a streamlined approval process and a review ensuring someone, such as the DPW commissioner, police chief, maybe the mayor, have final approval on a proposed event hosted on city property.
Lynn will have bigger and better opportunities to showcase its natural beauty and its welcoming residents. But hosting events aimed at underscoring those attributes must be preceded by a sound, thorough and accountable review.
Lynn residents don’t mind being welcoming hosts but they don’t like guests who leave messes.