What to do with Stone Field? Officials in Gardner want ideas for a field home to generations

It used to be the playground for generations of baseball players in the Chair City, but now Stone Field lies unused along Cross Street behind the former Helen Mae Sauter school.

But that could change with the city's appointment of the Stone Field Review Committee, whose members will solicit public opinion for ideas and suggestions about how the community might revitalize the vacant field.

Proposed by Councilor at Large Brad Heglin and passed unanimously by the City Council in May, the ad hoc advisory committee is tasked with presenting a variety of options to the city to ensure the best use of the property going forward.

Heglin said he had fond memories of the playing at Stone Field as a boy and saw it every day while working at Gardner Academy when it was located in the Helen Mae Sauter building.

"Now, I drive by it daily on my way to work at Gardner High School," he said. "So, on a personal level, I do feel a responsibility to see the space maintained as it so beautifully was for many years when a private citizen, Steve Zoldak, largely took care of it on his own. Additionally for that neighborhood and the city, I feel it is important to ensure we stay ahead of things and work to prevent properties from slipping into disrepair to the point of becoming problem or nuisance properties."

Advisory committee comprised of 'dedicated Gardnerites'

Heglin said the other members of the committee were a group of dedicated Gardnerites with various ties to the field, including current Gardner High School coach Pete Gamache, former coach/principal Walter Dubzinski, former coach Sally Johnson, sportswriter and former coach Jay Gearan, and Rep. Jon. Zlotnik, D-Gardner, a former baseball player at Gardner High School.

"This group will take in community suggestions, bring their own ideas to the table, and weigh out the options before making a report to the Mayor and Council," Heglin said.

More: What are the future plans for five former schools in Gardner? What city officials say

Zlotnik said it had been years since any games have been played on a field that had once meant so much to the city.

"If you played Little League baseball in the city of Gardner from 1950 to 2020, you played on Stone Field," Zlotnik said. "I played a number of years on that field. In its heyday, it was the best 90-foot diamond around. It's kind of unique in the way that the neighborhood has been built around it. When you're at home plate and you look out, you see a row of houses and pine trees just beyond the outfield. That's kind of a unique thing and gives the field its character."

Mayor Michael Nicholson said the review is part of the city's ongoing reevaluation of the best uses of its vacant properties.

"Many people have fond memories playing on that field and we want to make sure that it's used in the best way possible," Nicholson said. "This group is coming up with a couple of ideas on how the property could best be used and will present a plan to my office."

Stone Field Review Committee seeking public input

Named after Gardner's second mayor, Albert H. Stone, who built it, the field played a central role in city sports for generations of players. For many years, it was the only high school field where football games were played, according to Heglin, and many fans would travel from across the city and beyond to watch the games.

"When Gardner was a real powerhouse team in this area, it was on that field that they practiced and played," Heglin said. "Years later, when the current high school was built, Stone Field came to be home to our varsity baseball team, where a new generation of athletes called it home. As such, a lot of people have connections to that field whether it be from their time playing there or watching loved ones and friends play there."

More: How a $925,000 grant to Gardner is making high student athletics more accessible

The committee is soliciting suggestions from the public about possible future uses for the field. Notes can be sent to Katie Jablonski at kjablonkski@gardner-ma.gov .

I think it would be a success for the city for the field to get more use in any variation, sports, mixed use and I see it remaining as city property," Heglin said. "There are a lot of routes we could take, and I look forward to seeing what the ad hoc committee pulls together."

Heglin said he hoped the committee would have a final report to present to the City Council and Mayor Michael Nicholson within a few months.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: What to do with Stone Field? Officials in Gardner want ideas for a field home to generations