Veterans Field Scoreboard and Message Board Proposal

The Veterans Field Scoreboard and Message Board Proposal first appeared in the record during the planning board's April 2, 2026 meeting as Case SPR-26-5, a site plan review that combined a playground installation with a digital scoreboard and messaging sign.

At that meeting the board accepted the application as complete under Article 5 and approved it subject to two explicit conditions: sign lights must be off between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM except for emergency messages, and no commercial advertising is permitted on the street-facing side.

The same proposal returned to the selectboard on June 1, 2026, now framed as a combined scoreboard and back-to-back message board intended for town alerts and one-time commercial advertising.

During the selectboard discussion, members and a resident raised questions about the compatibility of a recreational scoreboard with commercial messaging, potential light pollution, and the best location for visibility and power access.

The selectboard declined to vote on any dollar amount and instead directed the recreation department to explore design options and $5,000 sponsorships before returning for a funding decision.

This sequence shows the project moving from land-use approval with restrictions in April to a funding and design review in June without a final financial commitment.

At its June 17, 2026 meeting the recreation committee reviewed the selectboard's earlier direction and elected to abandon the large scoreboard design in favor of lower-cost, in-house alternatives such as mobile or sliding-style signs, potentially solar-powered, to reduce both expense and electrical impact.

At its May 20, 2026 meeting the recreation committee received an update on the Veterans Field scoreboard and message board, noting that the department head was actively pursuing quotes and a sponsorship model requiring a minimum $5,000 per sponsor to offset an approximate total project cost of $34,000, while also flagging concerns over visual impact; the committee agreed that Veterans Field funds would be exhausted before accessing Fund 11 if sponsorship targets were not met, and directed further design and mock-up work.