We the undersigned, neighbors, residents and interested parties, call urgently on the Brookline Recreation department to:

• Take immediate and sustained action to ensure the availability of public skating in Brookline this winter, and every winter hereafter until construction of a new rink at Larz Anderson Park is complete. 

• Immediately publish a timeline for rink replacement.  Accelerated planning, investment and advocacy are urgently needed for a next generation rink plan that will preserve the unique character and community legacy of the Jack Kirrane Rink at Larz Anderson Park.

The Jack Kirrane Rink is a town jewel that has joined generations of skaters of all ages with the scenic natural beauty of Larz Anderson park.  Fifteen thousand annual visitors rely on the rink for recreation, exercise, competition, emotional wellbeing, and a connection to nature. User groups include Learn to Skate, Brookline Youth Hockey, boys and girl athletes from Brookline High School, adult hockey leagues, and the general public.  

Sadly, delays, passivity and a lack of advocacy from the Brookline Recreation Department has needlessly brought the condition of our prized rink to a point of crisis.  At recent meetings, the Recreation Department told community members to prepare for a day this year or next, when the rink no longer functions, with no alternative options presented to maintain continuity of skating services.  This is an unacceptable abdication of responsibility.  The Recreation Department would never close all soccer fields, tennis courts, or the town pool for multiple years simply because they are expensive to maintain.  

The Recreation Department has known for decades that the rink would eventually need to be upgraded. Yet, despite significant community input and two years of study by a special task force, the rink upgrade project was never put on the Recreation Department's Capital Improvement Plan until this year, when the Recreation Department inexplicably recommended delaying action for SEVEN MORE YEARS!  What was once avoidable is now a crisis and needs immediate attention.  

With true leadership and a genuine sense of urgency, this situation can be turned around for the better.   We therefore call on the Recreation Department and Parks & Recreation Commission to:

1. Commit annual capital funding for rink maintenance until a new rink is opened. Avoidable delays have unfortunately now necessitated greater investment in summer infrastructure improvements, such as phased piping replacement in each of the next several years, while a new rink is being planned.
2. Establish priority partnerships with nearby rinks to maintain skating options, should the current rink fail in the middle of this or any future winter season.  Brookline residents now travel as much as 30 minutes to find available ice options in other towns because the Recreation Department has not taken the lead. But there are many closer rinks that could become strategic partners for town programs.  Partnerships require outreach and funding from the Recreation Department, which can be augmented by community user groups that are willing to pay their fair share.
3. Immediately fund a programming study that quantifies the need for an indoor skating facility.  A new rink will be a significant investment for the Town.  With scarce resources, this study can validate the significant need for many more months of ice-skating hours and other year-round programming options.  This will help to justify the significant investment required to make a new, year-round rink a reality.
4. Initiate the Article 3.7 process from Town By-Laws that will make planning for a new rink an official, town-sponsored initiative.  This process is designed to ensure that all Town departments, key user groups, and community members are consulted to ensure the best possible solution. The process will also bring concepts and investment proposals forward to town voters who will judge rink upgrade plans on their merits.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DELAY ANY LONGER. Even in a perfect scenario, it will take many more years before a new rink is complete.  The Larz Anderson Task Force first proposed their common sense recommendations a year ago, and still no concrete action has been taken to move the proposed process forward.

We therefore urge the Recreation Department and Parks and Recreation Commission to make good on their obligations to town residents and put these steps into motion - TODAY!