Are kids playing basketball on the street a safety hazard?

Seetharaman Ganesan approached the Select Board Tuesday night with a personal concern: Should children be allowed to play basketball in the streets?

The street that concerns him, specifically, is Seaver Farm Lane, his South Grafton neighborhood, where he worries the town could be liable if someone is injured while playing basketball at a hoop located on the public way.

“I am not against basketball,” he said during the public comment portion of the Select Board meeting. “People should pursue their own personal love on their private property, not public ways.”

Ganesan had previously reached out to Town Administrator Tim McInerney, who told him via email that the town’s position, including that of the police department, was that street basketball was not a liability to the town.

Select Board member Ed Prisby noted that kids playing sports in the streets has happened for generations, as noted in the name of the sport “street hockey.” He also said today’s children are criticized for spending too much time inside playing video games instead of outside playing.

Ganesan said he’s had to stop his car to get the players to clear the street.

“I had to honk once, and they booed me,” he said.

Select Board member Doreen DeFazio echoed Prisby’s memories of playing sports on the street and said Ganesan’s safety issue could still occur if the children were playing basketball in their own driveways and the ball rolled into the street.

“I don’t want to discourage kids in that neighborhood from playing outside,” she said.

Ganesan also expressed safety concerns about Providence Road at the start and end of the school day at Grafton High School/Grafton Middle School. He argued that people spend too much time in traffic and suggested the road be widened.

McInerney said the state would have to make the call on any road changes and there may not be much room — the area near the schools is bordered on one side by a cemetery and on the other by a drainage ditch on police department land.