BIDDEFORD — Efforts to renovate Waterhouse Field, which school and city officials have said is in “dire need” of repair, are on pause — at least for the time being.

The School Committee voted on Jan. 10 to dissolve the Waterhouse Advisory Committee. It now plans to hire environmental design and engineering consultants Weston & Sampson to conduct a field study of the venue and other city-owned fields.

The company has completed more than a dozen similar studies in other communities, School Superintendent Jeremy Ray said Thursday.

Waterhouse Field, located at the corner of West and Prospect streets, hasn’t been renovated in more than 20 years, and school officials say it needs vital upgrades in infrastructure for both aesthetic and safety reasons.

The field’s “home” side bleachers were purchased used in 1999, and the “visitor” stands were bought used in 1985. Both sets of bleachers were intended for indoor use, and have been repaired multiple times since their installation. The field’s light poles, installed in 1985, are also cracking, making it difficult to illuminate night games.

Previously, the Waterhouse Advisory Committee undertook the charge for fundraising and restoration of the field, and as of October had raised $282,028 in donations to help fund the renovations, just over half of its goal of $500,000.

School officials said they chose to eliminate the committee because it had already performed its role in addressing the need for repairs, both in fundraising and raising community awareness through holding two community forums on the issue.

“The Waterhouse Advisory Committee has done their job by bringing forth the renovation request for Waterhouse Field,” Board member Tony Michaud said at the committee’s meeting. “Now that we’re moving into an athletic field study citywide, I think many of us on this School Committee are interested in that process and in being part of that decision making moving forward.

“We have the information from Waterhouse Field, what the cost is, what the expectations are for that field. I think that this is a big decision for the Biddeford School Committee and I think the Biddeford School Committee should be responsible for moving forward,” Michaud added.

In September and October, three renovation options were presented to the public, ranging from $3.4 million to $5.5 million.

The scope of the consultants’ work will encompass field reconnaissance and mapping, public outreach efforts, a recreation and parks survey and needs assessment, preliminary field planning efforts and a final report on those efforts, according to the study’s contract.

Total cost for the study is $28,000, which Ray said will come from the facilities and grounds section of the overall school budget.

“I think what we’ve probably done is we’ve pressed the pause button (on Waterhouse Field) and this report will give us an outside peek of what the consultant thinks what will be the best direction for us,” Ray said Thursday.

Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant called the study a “waste of money” during the School Committee meeting, saying he believes the advisory committee could examine similar aspects while working with the City Council to evaluate city-owned properties.

“I think you have to wait before you do something like that and take a step back. Things can move concurrently and I don’t think that’s really a good move at this juncture,” he said.

Casavant echoed his sentiments on Thursday, saying he wants to see attention focused on restoring Waterhouse Field.

“I’m a real firm believer in the preservation of Waterhouse Field. It’s historically significant, it’s unique, it has a great feel to it,” Casavant said. “Yes there’s a price tag involved, there are costs, there’s no way to avoid that.

“My thought was that that was not a wise move because I don’t think it’s rocket science to do what they’re being asked to do,” Casavant added of the consulting firm.

Ray also said the study, which is expected to take eight to 12 weeks, will address the city’s needs in addition to those of the School Department, with the hope of improving the city’s recreational facilities.

“(The study will be) looking at all the athletic complexes in the city and trying to make a decision of where we should go in the future and what the needs are, trying to give the best recommendation of what the usage looks like and what locations are best,” Ray said. “It’s a very comprehensive report … not only for the School Department but for the recreation department, there’s some need as well.”

Casavant said it’s true some of the city’s facilities could use upgrades, but feels the School Department is taking the wrong approach in addressing them.

“There are fields around that are owned by the city that could use some improvements,” Casavant said, “But the whole irony in this is most of the fields they’re talking about are city-owned, and yet the City Council is left out of the discussion.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.