Soccer fields in Huntsville could soon get a seating upgrade.
Town council has accepted a proposed donation of up to 10 covered benches from the Huntsville Soccer Club.
Chris Occhiuzzi, vice president of the club, told council on Monday that five would be placed at the Macaulay South field, three at Macaulay North, and one in Conroy Park, leaving one more to be determined.
According to Occhiuzzi, the club has already raised the funds for the benches, and would work with the town to maintain them over the years.
“We’ll be responsible for most of it because we’re using it,” said Occhiuzzi. “So we’re going to make sure it’s in good shape—we don’t want it to get damaged. We’ll work with the town staff on how the best practices are to do things, and what makes sense […] It’s a collaborative effort, right?”
Occhiuzzi said the benches are made of aluminum and roughly 15-feet wide, with a canvas top that can be removed for winter storage. He added that they have wheels to allow for easy relocation.
He noted that if approved soon, the benches would be delivered by at least mid-June.
The initial resolution was for council to approve the donation on principle, but not move forward with the idea until staff could work out a concrete agreement with the club.
Denise Corry, chief administrative officer for the Town of Huntsville, told council that would include insurance, staffing, and costs for repairing or replacing the benches in the future.
“We just want to make sure we have all of that in place,” said Corry. “And I know that it’s very much supported by staff, but we also need to be realistic about the resources that are required and the financial commitment to maintain these and replace them in 10, 15 years.”
However, council moved to accept the donation outright but added a condition that the club agrees to “terms and conditions as determined by the town” at a later date.