EXISTING CONDITIONS

B. Everett Hall Field has three large playing fields, bounded to the north and east by woodlands and the west by Center Elementary School. A oneway driveway for buses and school traffic enters the site on Silver Street, winds behind Center Elementary, and exits onto Route 139, a state highway under Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) jurisdiction. A two-way entrance from Route 139 connects to a 47-spot parking lot. Sidewalks along Route 139 are very close to fast-moving traffic and unpleasant, as experienced by several Hanover residents interviewed at B. Everett Hall Field. There are no bike lanes on Silver Street or Route 139 and there are no bike racks on the site.

Two basketball courts, a tennis court turned do-it-yourself skatepark, an unused volleyball court, and a well-loved, but out-of-date, playground are clustered in the southeast corner of the site. The playground is the only public playground in town not attached to a school. Recent additions to the park include an inline skating rink dedicated to Sergeant Michael C. Chesna; a Veterans Memorial wall dedicated on November 11, 2017, by the entrance on Route 139; and a bandstand constructed by South Shore Vocational High School students in 2016. The parking lot is centrally located between these clustered features.

32 Acres Total

13.5

12 acres forested

6.5 acres impervious

The full-sized baseball field is one of three in town, and is currently the only field facility in town with lights. At the May 1, 2023 Town Meeting the addition of lights at Forge Pond Park was approved. The outfield of the baseball field is currently scheduled for youth soccer, football, and lacrosse practice, in addition to youth baseball.

The softball field to the north of the baseball field is technically owned by Center Elementary, although in effect all of the fields are shared and maintained by the Department of Public Works. Center Elementary also has their own playgrounds, basketball court, and covered picnic area. These facilities are open to the public when school is not in session. A wooded area north of Center Elementary contains a vernal pool. Two trails through the woods connect to neighboring properties and loop back onto the softball field.

In 2019, Town Meeting voters transferred the use of the Sylvester School building from educational use to general government use. The school was consolidated with Center Elementary School in January 2019. Read more on page 6.