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Town citizens will pile into the high school field house on May 13 for Wayland’s annual town meeting. One proposal that is shaping up to be one of the most controversial is Article 25, Transfer and Lease the Recreation Portion of the Loker Conservation and Recreation Area.

If voters approve the article by the necessary two-thirds majority, the deed to the Loker Conservation area would be transferred from the Recreation Commission to the Board of Selectmen, who would then lease the land for the construction of a town recreation center.

The article asks voters to approve three steps. The first step permits the Recreation Commission to transfer the parcel of land to the Board of Selectmen, who are empowered by town law to lease town land. The second step would allow the Selectmen to in turn transfer the property to “an entity”  that must build a recreation facility as approved by both the Recreation Commission and the Selectmen. Finally, the third step requires that when the facility is completed, the land will be leased back for use by the Recreation Commission.

If the article is passed, the town will request construction proposals from interested builders, get a permit, and then lease the land to a selected developer.

The land, located at 412 Commonwealth Road (Route 30), was purchased by the town of Wayland in 2000 for $1.7 million. It was designated a recreation and conservation area at a town meeting in 2004.

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Objectors point to a number of consequences. Major controversy  surrounds the fact that the recreation center would be built on an area which was owned by the Dow Chemical Company for nearly 30 years. From 1995 to 2001, nine children were diagnosed with brain cancer in Weston and Wayland after living and playing near the former Dow site.

Since then, the site has been cleaned up by officials from the Dow Chemical Company, sent by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP). The procedures included the removal of over 13,000 tons of soil, according to 30REC, a pro-recreation center non-profit group.

Some, however, still fear traces of harmful substances, though the MA DEP stated that the site has “no significant risk to human health, public safety, welfare or the environment.”

Other recreation center opponents also point to the possibility of increased traffic. “Objections have been raised by some living in the area that traffic surrounding and nearby roads could become much worse as a result of any development,” reads the town warrant.

Another issue is that the recreation center would be built on land that is rich in wildlife. Opponents worry that the construction process would harm wildlife. There are also three small ponds on the property, and although the center will be built around them, there is some fear that damage could still occur.

Junior Swathi Sivasubramanian agreed, saying, “I don’t want it because the area is pretty as it is. Why do we need a recreation center?”

Others are concerned that the abundance of animals and plants could harm the recreation center.

Supporters of the recreation center include officers from the Wayland Boosters, Wayland Baseball and Softball Association, Wayland Youth Lacrosse, Wayland-Weston Pop Warner Football, Wayland Hockey Association, Wayland Youth Basketball Association, and the Wayland Soccer Association. Many boards of these clubs have also expressed approval.

According to the petitioners’ comments from Article 25, Wayland lacks adequate indoor and outdoor recreation facilities to meet the needs of the town’s many sports programs.

“It would be a great asset to our community to have fields,” said WHS softball coach and elementary school teacher Alison Herstine.

“I think that it’s a very good idea because there’s really nothing to do except for Longfellow’s,” said freshman Samantha Belzer. “Now we can get active.”

Athletes at Wayland High School also have high hopes for the recreation center and look forward to the possibility of an indoor ice skating rink and full-size multi-sport playing fields. The recreation center will also feature indoor exercise equipment and exposure to nearby trails.

“I think having a rink in town would be huge for me because it takes 45 minutes to get to our rink now,” said WHS hockey captain Evan Barber. “Other teams get two hours [of practice] every day instead of 50 minutes. [With the recreation center] we would have time to do homework before practice rather than staying up all night doing work.”

Supporters also promise financial viability and revenue for the town. 30REC believes that no new or existing town funds would be used to build or operate the facility and that the center would actually create tens of thousands of dollars of new revenue.

According to the group, Wayland could expect $50,000 to $100,000 a year in lease, rent, and tax payments, in the range of revenue brought in by similar facilities in neighbor towns like Natick and Bedford.

The Recreation Commission has taken no position on the article after a tie vote, but the Finance Committee has expressed its approval in a 5-1 vote.

UPDATE: 30REC announced on May 10 that it would delay the Recreation Center article until the fall due to a busy agenda at this spring’s town meeting. Before the fall vote, the group will appoint a committee to begin work on Request for Proposals, conduct public forums on the proposal, and begin discussions with potential users of the rec center. According to the press release, “Because the busy agenda for the Town Meeting beginning this week will likely push the Rec Center article to a third night when attendance is typically light, the petitioners will bring up the article again at the fall meeting when many more citizens will be present.”