South Windsor Town Council Sets Public Hearing for Athletic Fields Proposal

The South Windsor Town Council on Monday set a public hearing for Sept. 3 to receive residents’ input on the athletic fields on the vacant 11 acres of land on Nevers Road across from Ayers Road.

The athletics field subcommittee will present what is expected to be a close-to-finalized version of its proposal, said Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano, who chairs the subcommittee.

“The main intent of the public hearing is to give the public an idea of what the latest plan is and so people can comment on it,” Bazzano said.

In June, Bazzano said that the subcommittee was putting the finishing touches on a $2.1 million athletic fields proposal that includes, among other things, 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.

At Monday’s meeting, however, a number of residents said that they supported the construction of a Miracle Field, a baseball field with flat, synthetic turf that provides players with special needs the opportunity to play baseball.

New England’s first Miracle Field was opened for play in West Hartford in June 2012. That field cost about $700,000.

Bazzano indicated that the South Windsor fields proposal could include plans for a Miracle Field, which would be the second of its kind in the state.

Town Councilor Keith Yagaloff, who is also on the athletic fields subcommittee, said that while he supports the conceptual plan, and its size and scope (including the Miracle Field), he remained “concerned” over how the new fields would be financed.

Bazzano said in June that the plan - prior to the proposed Miracle Field - calls for the fields to be financed through a 10-year, $230,000 per year lease.

A lease arrangement would enable the council to pass the athletic field proposal without a referendum, something that several councilors, including Yagaloff, said they were uncomfortable with.

Yagaloff inquired whether the council could actually vote on the fields as early as after the public hearing.

Town Manager Matthew Galligan said that the budget had already been set for the 2013-14 fiscal year, so no new expenditures could be added, at least not easily.

“You have no appropriation in the budget,” Galligan said. “The budget is already done.”

Town Councilor Ed Havens said that he was looking forward to the discussion to put the matter “to bed.”

“I welcome a public hearing on this thing to get the kinks out of it,” he said.

Bazzano, for his part, said that the fields plan has gone through numerous iterations and the latest plan is the “most inclusive.”

Not everyone supported the plan, however.

Mary Sullivan, who resides on Nevers Road, said that the new fields would be disruptive to the neighbors' quality of life. Sullivan also said that she was concerned about the new fields' impact on taxes.