South Windsor $2.1 Million Athletic Fields Proposal Nearing Completion

A subcommittee is putting the final touches on a proposed $2.1 million athletic fields project that would be constructed on Nevers Road, adjacent to the Charles N. Enes Community Center.

“After eight revisions, we finally came up with a plan that seems to suit the needs of every sports group that would use an athletic field, outside of baseball,” said Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano, the chair of the athletic field subcommittee.

Bazzano said that the plan includes two oversized synthetic fields, one smaller grass practice field, parking for 89 cars, a concession stand and perimeter fencing. One of the fields would have four light posts for night activities.

While the financial details are still being hammered out, Bazzano said that the plan calls for the fields to be financed through a 10-year, $230,000 per year lease.

About $300,000 would go for the lights, while another $180,000 would pay for the concession stand, Bazzano said. The rest would be used to cover the cost of the fields.

“It’s very reasonable,” Bazzano said. “That’s what’s nice about it.”

South Windsor High School would have use of the fields until 5 or 6 p.m. when school is in session, Bazzano said.

A referendum would not be necessary under the current plan, Bazzano said. The next step will be for the final touches to be put on the proposal and then have a resolution brought before the Town Council sometime this summer, Bazzano said.

But while Bazzano is excited about the project, at least two people who live in the area near where the project would be constructed expressed their concerns at the Town Council’s meeting on Monday.

Mary Sullivan, who lives in the Windemere condominium complex, said that she did not want the fields in her “backyard.”

In addition, she said she was concerned with the impact the fields would have on wildlife, including a family of skunks, as well as the cost to the town.

“I’ve lived here 54 years, and I’ve never seen the taxes go down,” she said.

Sullivan added that there were other projects needed in town, including improvements or an expansion to the senior center.

But while Sullivan was not enthused by the proposal, she acknowledged that the subcommittee has worked with her and her neighbors on trying to come up with an acceptable plan.

“The fields subcommittee is the most organized, professional committee I’ve ever seen,” Sullivan said. “I just don’t want to be steamrolled by the pros.”

Joe Candeias, of 258 Nevers Road, said that he wants the current zoning regulations that apply to the Little League and American Legion baseball fields to be enforced before any additional fields are constructed.

Candeias said that, for the first five years, the regulations were followed for the lights, and they were dimmed at 9:15 p.m. and shut off by 9:30 p.m.  The last five years, those regulations have been ignored, with the lights frequently staying on until 10 or 11 p.m. and, in some instances, midnight.

Other conditions, such as no tournament game under the lights and a requirement for parking signage that states hours of operation, have not been followed as well.

Loudspeakers, which were not supposed to be used, are now the norm at the fields, Candeias said. While the situation has improved recently with the installation of new speakers, Candeias said that there was still noticeable noise at his home.

“It’s still disturbing,” he said.

As for the new plan, Candeias said that he would have a synthetic field 50 feet from his property and 200 feet from his house.

“The lights affect me now at the Legion field and the Little League field,” Candeias said. “Now this proposal calls for a light post by my backyard, which is the only place I have a little privacy. … It’s a quality of life issue.”

Candeias implored the council to have the project go to a referendum, and not let “a select few people in the minority” sway their opinions “because they make a lot of noise.”

“This is a rehash of a proposal that has been shot down twice at referendums,” Candeias said.

Bazzano said that he understood the neighbors’ concerns from having served on the planning & zoning commission for 5 years.

The issues that Candeias brought up primarily are zoning issues that should be brought up with planning & zoning.

The lighting is part of the proposal, Bazzano said, and must be approved by planning & zoning as well. The subcommittee is merely bringing forth the proposal and a mechanism for financing it.

Bazzano did say that lights can be controlled through technological advances that enable them to be turned on and off remotely.

For example, neighbors of the Rye Street Park have, on a handful of occasions, complained about the lights still being on and have had their concerns addressed promptly, Bazzano said.

“Obviously, anyone involved in athletics wants to be good neighbors,” Bazzano said.

It’s why the subcommittee has worked on moving the concession stand and proposed putting up fencing and even a berm to minimize the impact on neighbors, Bazzano said.

As for a referendum, Bazzano said that the council may choose to go down that road, but he does not support it.

He noted that the town paid $2 million for the cleanup of the October 2011 snowstorm without having gone to a referendum.

“It’s the same amount of money,” Bazzano said. “Here we are building fields which will accommodate thousands of participants.”