Parks And Rec Presents Its Wish List For Future Projects

By Jan Howard

The Board of Selectmen on August 4 reviewed the wish list of the Parks and Recreation Department for the town’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) with Director Barbara Kasbarian and commission Chairman Larry Haskel.

The list of town department requests for the CIP for fiscal years 2004–05 through 2008–09 was presented to the selectmen on July 21. The CIP is updated every year to provide a continuous five-year projection of the town’s future capital needs.

The Board of Selectmen must prioritize and approve department requests to be included in the town’s CIP. The Legislative Council has final approval.

The CIP proposes a total expenditure of $43.05 million over a five-year period, of which $4.46 million in new appropriations is requested for the budget for fiscal year 2004–05.

There was no submission as yet regarding the purchase of open space land, pending a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and the Legislative Council to address a land acquisition program. Once a plan is in place, funding for open space would become part of the CIP.

Included in the total are seven projects for Parks and Recreation, totaling $5.57 million, including a maintenance facility for $1.6 million and a recreation center at Fairfield Hills for $2.6 million. Other Parks and Recreation projects include parks and field improvements, including pond renovations at Dickinson Park, baseball/softball field lights, and a pool dome for Treadwell Park.

Selectman Joe Bojnowski raised the subject of the request for $200,000 for design/ renovations for the fiscal year 2004–05 for a $1.4 million maintenance facility. He noted that in consideration of the current tax burden, “It is clear we need to find the most cost effective ways to do things and to defer expenses wherever we can.”

Mr Haskel said the need for a maintenance facility “is not going away.” He explained that the responsibilities of the department are increasing, and there are more people on the crew. Also, there is not enough storage space for equipment, he added, which has led to some equipment being stored outside during the winter.

Mr Rosenthal praised the staff for a “fine job” in fixing the current facility. “You’ve done a wonderful job in utilizing space.” He agreed, however,, there is not enough room to garage all the department’s equipment.

There may be an alternative to renovating the current facility or building a new one, Mr Rosenthal said, through use of the former laundry/firehouse building at Fairfield Hills, which is included in the town’s purchase of the property. He explained that a fire truck needs to be parked there, but there is room in the bays for Parks and Recreation equipment. “Storage is very good,” he said, adding the school system currently is using some of the building.

“The building needs work, but it can be usable for our purpose without spending $1.4 million,” Mr Rosenthal said. The building has restrooms and an elevator, he noted.

He said the building had been offered to the fire departments or Ambulance Association, but they were not interested in it for safety reasons because of its location across from a school building.

Mr Haskel agreed the facility could meet the department’s needs for additional equipment storage.

In regard to a proposed $2.4 million recreation center that would include a gymnasium, program rooms, and offices, Mr Brimmer noted that, if a new town hall were built, Edmond Town Hall would have usable space. However, Mr Haskel said a full size basketball court is needed outside of a school location in a stand-alone facility.

“We need a recreation center, and we need it desperately,” Mr Haskel said. “I’d like to see it go forward.”

The master plan for Fairfield Hills does include a recreation center as one possible use on the property, Mr Rosenthal said.

Despite how much a recreation center is needed, Ms Kasbarian said, “We may have to keep pushing it back.”

Also discussed was $720,000 proposed for pond renovations at Dickinson Park, projected for the fiscal year 2005–06. “We need to have the surface painted so lifeguards can see to the bottom,” Ms Kasbarian said.

Other options, Mr Haskel said, are changing from the pond to a regular pool or closing the pond. He said Dickinson is the most popular of the parks in town.

Also discussed was $300,000 projected for the 2007–08 fiscal year for athletic field lights at Fairfield Hills and $350,000 in the 2008–09 fiscal year for a dome for the pool at Treadwell Park.

Mr Haskel called the dome “pie in the sky,” but noted it would provide an indoor facility that would extend the use of the pool throughout the year.

“It’s desirable,” Ms Kasbarian said, “but we don’t know what’s coming down the pike in the future.”