After months of waiting, the state denied Little Compton its $250,000 grant application to fix its outdated recreation fields.

Patrick McHugh, chairman of the Recreation, Conservation and Open Space Commission, reported Wednesday that he was notified by the chief the Division of Planning and Development from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management that their application was denied due to inconsistancies between the application and Little Compton's comprehensive plan. He communicated this information in an email sent to committee members and parents.

"I would like to thank every person on this committee for the many hours spent putting this grant application together," he wrote. "This application was outstanding. It is a shame that its negative result was due to a poor town comprehensive plan, and even worse our children will continue to play on dangerous, non-compliant, embarrassing fields."

He approached the Town Council last October to report his commission pursued a $250,000 grant from DEM with a 50 percent match, and $150,000 through in-kind services, leaving a request for the town to pay approximately $93,700 to put in two new multi-use fields.

McHugh said that, as chairman, his resolve is only strengthened to find solutions and make recommendations to the Town Council to address the situation.

The work included in the proposed $11.3 million bond to fix Wilbur-McMahon School does not include work to the surrounding athletic fields.