WATERBORO — Back in May, selectmen said they’d take a look at a town-owned land parcel to see if it might be suitable for use by a youth football league.

And one piece has been identified ”“ but there are elevation issues that could present some expensive problems.

Selectmen earlier this week reviewed information from Town Administrator Gary Lamb that outlined specifics on a piece of land on Townhouse Road, almost directly across from the entrance to Brookside Drive. Lamb said there is a 30-foot elevation difference from where a field and parking lot for it might be located.

“This would obviously increase heavy equipment costs to create a flat field surface,” Lamb said in his report. He estimated creating a field and parking lot there could cost between $150,000-$300,000, depending on whether blasting is required and if field lights are included in initial costs.

Officials with Massabesic Area Youth Football and Cheering, or MAYFC, have previously said they have a lot of willing volunteers and member families with access to equipment, and so selectmen agreed to present them with the information about the parcel.

MAYFC approached the town because finding enough field space has become an issue. The town doesn’t have the money to build a field, but said it had land that might be suitable.

Selectman Dwayne Woodsome noted there might be other parcels available that wouldn’t require as much work. Woodsome, who was elected to the selectmen’s board in June, after the initial meeting with the football league, suggested land near Massabesic Middle School, but the status of that parcel wasn’t known on Tuesday.

Selectman Gordon Littlefield pointed out the board had talked a bit about exchanging work on the parcel for loam and gravel.

The youth league is now in its 26th year. All together, about 250 -300 young people from throughout RSU 57, which includes Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh and Waterboro, are involved. About three-quarters of them are form Waterboro. The MAYFC organization offers flag football teams for boys and girls in grades K-2, football for boys and girls in grades 3-8 and cheering for grades K-8. MAYFC’s grade 3-8 teams are part of the Southern Maine Youth Football League.

In his letter, Lamb said that if the league had the funds, time and equipment to do the job, perhaps the town’s recreation department could agree to maintain it.

Board of Selectman Chairman Dennis Abbott said at some point the town has to look at all the fields. He pointed out that the Massabesic Middle School property has fields, but they apparently can’t be used because of grub issues.

Selectmen agreed to have MAYFC members meet with town officials to talk about the Townhouse Road lot, and pointed out there are other properties that could be examined.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.

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