LYNNFIELD — Now that residents have approved the fiscal year 2022-2023 capital budget, the town is going full speed ahead on its plans to construct a new permanent clubhouse at King Rail Reserve Golf Course.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan said the town has allocated $50,000 toward the design phase of the project and an RFQ (request for quote) has been put out.
“One of the goals of the Select Board going into Fiscal year 2023 is replacing the leased modular clubhouse at King Rail with a permanent structure that will better meet the needs of the golf operations,” said Dolan, adding, “In the design phase we have allocated $50,000 and an RFQ has been put out seeking an architectural firm to complete the work.”
Building plans tentatively call for a 32-foot by 40-foot one-story structure. The full RFQ is available at the Lynnfield DPW office or by request via the DPW email.
“Once it is completed and cost estimates presented, it is our goal to seek appropriation from Town Meeting in the fall,” Dolan said.
“Funding will come from money put in the sale-of-land account that was dedicated to golf upgrades during the MarketStreet development as well as the golf enterprise fund.”
Dolan added that if the town approves funding for the project, construction should start at the end of the golf season and continue through winter.
King Rail is a nine-hole golf course which sits on the site of the former Colonial Golf Course, a 103-acre property which was purchased by National Development in 2006 to build the MarketStreet Lynnfield outdoor shopping center.
The developers donated the portion of the course it did not use to the town. The town reconfigured the layout, reconstructed three holes, and added a new par-3 ninth hole to create the existing course.
When the course opened in 2016, a trailer was installed to serve as a temporary clubhouse. In 2021, a larger trailer with indoor bathrooms was installed. Previously, the facility only had portable toilets.
The new clubhouse will not include a restaurant or bar due to its proximity to the 20-plus restaurants at MarketStreet.
The RFQ states that work includes the advancement of conceptual plans to final design and estimates. The Lynnfield Department of Public Works has been designated as the client.
The design will primarily focus on two main components: advancing the already conceptualized building to a final design and estimating the proposed construction cost.
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford said, at this point, it is difficult to project a completion date.
“It all depends on which way we go, whether it’s stick built or modular,” He said. “Modular can go up pretty quickly but with Town Meeting not until October, I can’t imagine it going up this year.”
Crawford said the plan is to present the project cost at the Town Meeting.
“That’s typically the way we do things, but we could also bid it out both ways and have that for Town Meeting. My feeling is we likely will look at going modular, especially considering the costs of construction.
Town Engineer Patrick McAlpine will be in charge of the project. He will be assisted by School Building Committee Chair John Scenna and DPW Director John Tomasz.
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
