WATERBORO — Voters in the six towns that make up Regional School Unit 57 will vote Nov. 4 on a 15-year bond designed to pay the lion’s share, or $4.9 million of a $6.8 million overhaul of the athletic complex on the grounds of Massabesic High School.

About 60 to 70 people turned out for a public hearing about the project at Massabesic High School Monday night. Questions ranged from the type of artificial turf under consideration to the impact on taxpayers.

While the track has been resurfaced a couple of times over the years, proponents say the proposal marks the first major renovation to the athletic complex since the school was built about 40 years ago.

While the bond is designed to pay for roughly two-thirds of the cost of the project, the remainder of the money will come from a mix of grants, donations and corporate sponsorships along with money from the capital reserve, which is part of the annual budget funded by taxpayers. Just how much will come from capital reserves ”“ if any ”“ depends on how much is raised through grants, donations and sponsorships. Those figures can’t be nailed down until after the vote, said school business manager Colin Walsh.

The project includes resurfacing the track, which is currently unusable for competition; widening the field surface to accommodate soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and other field sports; installing a synthetic surface, adding bleachers and upgrading softball and baseball fields to allow for home games; constructing new tennis courts for high school competition and public use; adding bathroom facilities (portable toilets are now in use); storage facilities, parking, a new maintenance facility and replacing fencing to improve security, and, proponents say, control access to the fields more efficiently.

Activities and Athletic Director Brendon Scully outlined the scope of the project at the public hearing. He said the school board put a committee together to look at options for the athletic complex two years ago, and the school board voted in September to send the proposal to referendum.

He said upkeep and maintenance will be a priority.

Addressing maintenance costs for the stadium, he said the grass surface used now costs about $14,620 a year to maintain, while an artificial surface is projected to cost far less ”“ about $1,650.

Scully said the project will provide access for middle school students, alleviate Title 9 concerns with the current facility, provide a safe surface for track and field and safe tennis courts, will be ADA accessible and more.

The school district provided an approximate per month taxpayer expense, based on 2014 valuations, for someone with a home valued at $100,000 in each of the six communities that make up RSU 57

The Journal Tribune used a home value of $150,000 and calculated the cost per year, based on information provided by the district. A taxpayer in Alfred would pay an additional $26.82 a year in taxes for the next 15 years; Limerick, $29.16; Lyman, $24.56; Newfield and Shapleigh, $20.88; and Waterboro, $30.96.

The amount each of the towns would pay varies per community. Figures provided in materials Monday are slightly different than original projections: Alfred’s share of the loan repayment for the bond is projected at $679,092; Limerick, $809,292; Lyman, $1,139,089; Newfield, $471,504; Shapleigh, $955,234; and Waterboro, $2,145,789.

Lyman Selectwoman Victoria Gavel asked what the district would do to keep other costs down over the 15-year period of the bond.

“RSU 57 gets three-quarters of every tax dollar in Lyman,” she said. “It’s not fun when people who have lived here a long time (come into town hall) crying because they can’t pay their taxes.”

Superintendent of Schools John Davis pointed out education costs between 60-80 percent of every tax dollar nationally. He suggested residents urge their state legislators to fund education at 55 percent, as the law outlines.

“The increases are cost shifting from Augusta,” Davis said, pointing to the cost of teacher pensions that were once a state responsibility, but are now a local responsibility. Davis said the district had been judicious about bond issues.

Speaking at the public hearing, Newfield resident Ann Johnson called the project a “Taj Mahal.”

“It only benefits one-third of your students,” she said. “Two-thirds are not getting the attention.”

School board member Heather Silva of Waterboro said her child is not an athlete, but she supports the project. She predicted a new athletic complex will bring people into the district, both to live and to attend events, adding to the area economy.

As to questions about artificial turf, Scully said no decision had been made, and that there are alternatives to the rubber crumb infill now under scrutiny for possible connections to cancer.

Another resident pointed out that the cost to taxpayers is less than buying take-out coffee for a year.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].