BARRINGTON - A bumpy stretch of land near Maple Avenue could become a new athletic field. More than 30 years ago the town closed the Chianese landfill sites — two dumps that ran on either side of Prince's Hill Avenue. Last week the Barrington Town Council approved a contract for a complete examination of that area. The work, being conducted by GZA Geo-environmental Inc., a consulting firm based in Providence, could be the first step in creating a new athletic venue in Barrington.

According to Barrington Town Manager Peter DeAngelis, the old Chianese landfills could be the perfect solution to an increased need for athletic fields.

"Based on what other communities have done with similar landfills, I believe we have an obligation to investigate this possibility," he said. "Many communities have done this before. We wouldn't be the first."

He's right. Other towns across Rhode Island and Massachusetts have already started the process of turning former landfills deemed safe into recreation areas. In Barrington, that possibility exists, but serious testing comes first.

The town agreed to a $38,560 contract, which will include an examination of vented gases at the site and groundwater more than 30 feet under the surface. Barrington Department of Public Works Director Alan Corvi said the work has already started.

"As part of the interview process, the company comes in and completes some preliminary checks," Mr. Corvi said. "They're very experienced. They're handling the Central Landfill site."

The need for more field space in town has been hotly debated recently. At a town council meeting last month, members of the Barrington Park and Recreation Commission, the Barrington Recreation Department, coaches at the high school and members of the high school's lacrosse teams told council members of the growing need for more athletic fields.

They said the fields in Barrington are over-used and in poor condition, for the most part. The town's response is a closer examination of the issue — a fields workshop has been set for Monday, May 23, at Barrington Town Hall.

In the meantime, recreation officials struggle to find enough suitable spots for all of the town's athletic leagues. (Barrington has the largest Little League program in the state and one of the largest youth soccer programs also.)

The first step

For years, Barrington residents dumped their trash at the four town landfills, but in the late 1960s officials began closing the facilities.

The Chianese sites, like the two others — one on Upland Way next to DPW headquarters and another near the cemetery on Upland — were capped with tons of topsoil and vented for the expulsion of methane gas, a byproduct of decomposing waste.

According to Mr. DeAngelis, the materials inside most landfills are free of methane around 30 years after they are closed. "Mother Nature usually takes care of the methane," he said.

GZA officials will investigate methane levels and will also examine samples of groundwater at the site. Mr. Corvi said the town will dig 30 feet below the surface to allow for sampling. The work will likely last between four and six months.

If the results come back positive for the Chianese landfills (low methane and minimal groundwater contamination) then town officials will take another step closer to creating the new fields. Barrington Town Council President Jeffrey Brenner emphasized that the town was still very early in the process. He said if new fields are built, parking will be a concern for nearby residents.

The Chianese landfill sites are unused, but they border a series of town-owned recreational facilities. There is a Little League baseball diamond, a soccer field, a toddler playground and an asphalt tennis court and basketball court.

"This could be the perfect town land to utilize better," Mr. Brenner said.

BY JOSH BICKFORD

jbickford@eastbaynewspapers.com