Elm Drive Ball Fields Will

Be Put Out To Bid – Again

By Steve Bigham

The Public Works Department’s four-month re-grading project at the Amaral Property along Elm Drive should be done by the end of the month. From there, the Parks & Recreation Commission plans to re-bid the construction of two baseball fields there.

In September, the Legislative Council reluctantly agreed to allow the Parks & Recreation to spend an additional $65,000 on the construction of the fields on top of the $350,000 which was already approved in this year’s budget. The additional cost was because only one firm, Deering Construction Company of Norwalk, bid on the project, and that firm’s bid was $80,000 over budget. Faced with other unforeseen costs, Parks & Recreation had requested a total of $130,000 and got half from the council.

The Parks & Recreation Commission had originally argued in favor of using Deering Construction in the interest of getting the job done in a timely manner. However, it has since decided to seek out other bidders on the suggestion of Millone and Macbroom Architects, who were unable to negotiate a change in Deering’s price without changing the scope of the project.

The architects predict this new bidding process should garner at least 3-4 bids.

“If all goes well, we’ll be able to start work on the fields in the spring,” noted Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian.

That means the fields will be ready for use by the spring of 2002 or the fall of 2001 at the earliest.

Three years ago, the town spent $400,000 using Iroquois Land Preservation and Enhancement Program (LPEP) money to purchase the stretch of land along Elm Drive. The “Amaral Property” was eventually turned over to Parks & Recreation to be used for future ball fields.

Last spring, Parks & Recreation requested $550,000 for the development of two smaller sized baseball diamonds on the land. That figure was eventually trimmed to $350,000 with the remaining costs to be made up by town highway crews, who have been re-grading the property since August.

According to Mrs Kasbarian, the high cost to build the fields is due to the discovery of unforeseen wetland areas on the parcel. Two retaining walls need to be installed in addition to the extra drainage and irrigation systems.

The long, narrow field along Elm Drive and adjacent to Dickinson Park was a key acquisition by the Parks & Recreation Commission. When purchased, it was hoped that the property would provide the fields that the town needed. A shortage of fields in town has become a major issue with residents as the town continues to grow.

The former Amaral property extends in a triangular shape in a northerly direction from Dickinson Park to the point where Elm Drive and Deep Brook Road intersect at the Village Cemetery. The lot lies just north of the Dickinson Park tennis courts.

Currently, there are 25 ball fields in Newtown that are available to the public. However, most of the fields are on school property, often causing scheduling problems. More than 1,200 children take part in Newtown’s soccer programs, which are played on local fields in the spring, summer, and fall. Fields have become overcrowded, with practices and games bumping up against one another.