Keach Park

CIP52 Keach Park

Keach Park is located at 2 Newton Avenue in Concord and like most of our city parks offers something for everyone – no matter your age. The park has a playground, picnic shelter, lighted basketball court, lighted soccer mini pitch, outdoor pool, half mile walking path with a story walk and a small parking lot. In the spring there is a little league, softball and youth soccer field and in the fall the outfields are turned into two youth soccer fields. In 2018, the city renovated the park's outdoor pool, and in 2023, opened the city's first soccer mini pitch. The park is adjacent to the City Wide Community Center that opened in June 2018. 

The park today includes the following amenities:

• Outdoor swimming pool
• Picnic Shelter with picnic tables
• Playground
• Lighted basketball court
• Lighted soccer mini pitch. What is a soccer mini pitch?
• 1/2 mile walking path
• Little League Field and a Softball field
• One Div. 2 youth sized soccer field (early May – mid July)
• Two Div. 3 youth sized soccer fields (mid-August – end of October)

Overview of Spring Youth Soccer Field and request for field lights:

Due to the growth of soccer the Parks and Recreation Department added a spring soccer program in 2011. Until 2016 these spring soccer leagues were clinic based and did not need a lined soccer field with goals. However, in 2016 a lined youth sized soccer field was added to help support our growing youth spring soccer leagues. This new field did not impact the spring sport fields of little league and softball. This new field was placed in opposite orientation as one of our fall soccer fields to ensure the new field would not affect field conditions for our fall soccer leagues. The new youth soccer field is set up first week of May and remains until Mid-July, in mid-July the soccer goals are removed and field is aerated and seeded. This allows the field to rest and recover prior to the start of our fall soccer leagues starting in late August. 

In 2016 the Parks and Recreation Director and the Assistant Director started to meet with Change for Concord Leadership to find ways to increase opportunities for programming and possible park improvements for Concords growing new American community. Change for Concord advocated for the basketball and Tennis courts be repainted, additional porta toilet and trash containers. In the FY2018 budget City Council approved funds for the courts to be painted and the department added an extra trash can and porta toilet.

In late 2017 the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee voted not to have staff schedule the new youth soccer field on Sundays and two evenings a week to allow the field to be used for pick up soccer (no organized leagues/groups). This practice continues to this day (Fridays and Saturdays after 5 field is unscheduled) except during two special events: one weekend for a large state-wide soccer tournament and for the past several years Keach Park has been home to the Multicultural Festival. During the summer months this new youth sized soccer field is also not reserved by groups after 5 pm Monday – Friday, Saturdays or Sundays to allow pick up soccer for the residents of Concord (except what's listed above).

Change for Concords Leadership changed  in 2021 and their new leader had a meeting with City Councilor Byron Champlin, Mayor Pro Term Candance White Bouchard, Parks and Recreation staff David Gill and Laura Bryant.  During the meeting they indicated their priority was offering workshops and trainings for the new Americans and not the field lights. During the next year they offered workshops with several of them being held at the City-Wide Community Center, topics included: College and Career Planning, Advisory Letter Writing, NH Peacekeeping Training and Foundations of Public Speaking.

As with many of the city’s capital projects the athletic field lights over the years have been moved from year to year based on community needs and funding availability. The project was added during the FY19 budget season as a FY22 project, then in FY20 it was moved to FY2025, FY21 (COVID) moved to FY2029, FY22 kept at FY29, FY23 to FY32.

Fisto Ndayishimiye became Change for Concord Lead Organizer and AFSCS new grassroots organizer in the fall of 2022. Mr. Ndayishimiye indicated the Keach Park Lights were again a priority for Change for Concord and not training and workshops for their members. During the next year and half, Change for Concord and new American residents held several rallies demanding the City approve the project. With their outreach and advocacy, the project was included in the FY24 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and stated the following:

In the FY24 approved CIP for the park, a project was approved to add athletic field lights on one youth soccer field in the park. 

The FY24 CIP reads: Design and construction of lighting improvements for youth soccer field. Design: $30,000. Construction: $345,000 (excludes impact fee portion). Simultaneously with design process, community meetings shall be conducted to review concepts, gather public input, as well as develop community consensus on a preferred design concept and usage plan for the lit field space. Public input meetings shall include the public, the City's Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee and Airport Advisory Committee, park users (including applicable leagues), abutting property owners, as well as community groups and other interested stakeholders. Construction is subject to City Council review and approval of preferred design concept and facility usage plan.

Project Update:

Jan 11, 2024: First public meeting was held
Jan 25. 2024. The project was reviewed with the Cities Airport Advisory Committee to review potential concerns with Airport Operations. Once a final plan has been designed we will need to go back for their review. FAA permit will need to be submitted for final approval.
March - June 2024: Requested NH Fish and Game review of the project to review any potential issues with wildlife in the area.
March - November 2024: Work continues for electric design as power will need to be provided to all four poles. Underground power lines will also require repairs to parks irrigation system.
April 9, 2024. Held neighborhood meeting with residents of Newton Ave, Pembroke Road and Exchange Ave to review traffic concerns as well as trash, noise and special event scheduling. Deputy Police Chief John Thomas was in attendance to review traffic and noise complaints.
December 12, 2024. Held another public meeting to review process of scheduling of fields, additional maintenance needs, current parking limitations, new operating costs, new revenues from field rentals and projected costs for groups using athletic field lights.
March 20, 2025: As part of their regular monthly meeting the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee received a final update on the project Their unanimous recommendation was not to move forward with the light project due to increased wear of existing grass field and increased operational costs.
April 24, 2025:  Parks and Recreation Director present final plan to the Airport Advisory Committee. They approved the lighting project as long as FAA permit is approved and noting their recommendation is solely based on the relationship of the proposed lighting project to Concord Municipal Airport and approaching aircraft. 
May 12, 2025.  As required in the FY24 approved CIP staff presented a report to City Council with the information requested. At the meeting City Council approved moving forward with project as long as the FAA permit is received. They voted to have the athletic field lights on Thursday - Sunday dark to 10 pm for "pick up soccer" (no organized groups/leagues, no rental or light fees charged and field use is first come basis). On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays the field can be rented (field rental and light fees apply) dusk to 10 pm. At the meeting staff indicated pending FAA approval and ordering equipment it is anticipated lights will be installed late Fall/early winter 2025 with field useable late spring or early summer 2026. The new operating and field maintenance expenses will need to be added in the FY27 operating budget.
July/August 2025
The FAA review came back without any concerns. Contracts for installing field lights, underground power have been issued. Field lights are scheduled to be installed the second half November 2025.  
November 17, 2025: Installation of the light is underway. Irish Electric is installing a new meter and running the new underground power to the poles. Musco Lighting is installing the lights. The lights and the field will be ready for use sometime between mid May and mid June 2026 depending on how much field damage there is. Installing the cement pole bases, installing the 70 ft light poles and running power to the 4 poles will cause field damage and the grass will need time to grow back before field opens in 2026.

Once operational this youth sized field will be the only athletic field with field lights in a City Park besides the three lighted fields at Memorial Field Complex. Lighted fields at Memorial Field are: Baseball field, Softball Field and the main Football Field/Track.