The recently established Community Center Commission elected co-chairs and revised its vision statement Tuesday, May 26, at the group’s second meeting. In late April the Board of Selectmen chose members for the commission, who would fact-find, survey the community, and, after research and planning, render a recommendation on how to use a $15 million gift from the GE Foundation.

The gift came in the wake of 12/14. This group follows more than a year of prior planning for a project that First Selectman Pat Llodra chose not to push forward as public support faltered.

Andy Clure, a member of the previous community center planning member, and resident Brian Hartgraves will co-chair the 14-member board, which includes several parents of 12/14 victims. The votes to accept both men as board chairs were unanimous.

Members quickly gave suggestions for rewording an existing vision statement, arriving at a similar statement that reads: “The Newtown Community Center offers programs and activities that provide educational, recreational, artistic, and creative opportunities for individuals of every age and ability in order to engage the community, promote health, build self-esteem, showcase talent, increase social interaction, create a vibrant and supportive multigenerational community hub.”

Mrs Llodra suggested reviewing the vision statement in the future.

Members talked about their charge, and how to identify the community’s needs. They also discussed using subcommittees to develop community input, among other goals, according to member Carla Kron.

Members welcomed this week Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold, Assistant Director of Recreation RoseAnn Reggiano, and Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Ed Marks.

The three had been members of the advisory committee for the prior community center planning process and were also involved with a 2009-10 community and senior center project that was eventually dropped.

Ms Mangold told the commission, “At this point we are all aware of the great need for a community center. We have been flirting with the idea for nearly 20 years.”

She then read them comments from a 2000 Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee meeting where members had recommended that the town purchase Fairfield Hills and its reuse plan included a recreation/community center, she said.

Ms Mangold also noted that former First Selectman Herb Rosenthal years ago had assured her that “there was a plan” for a future community center.

She and Ms Reggiano also discussed the space constraints for their programming, and use of schools, which is limited, admitting, “We don’t have adequate indoor programming space.”

Ms Reggiano added that aside from programming and finding space for various sports leagues to play, she would “love to have classroom space” where lifeguards could become certified and other staff could update CPR training. She would also like to develop a gardening program “to plant something and see it grow.”

Also, past activities, such as poetry reading at the Teen Center on Church Hill Road, are no longer scheduled, and she would like to see space for events such as birthday parties “for any age.” Teen camps for certain activities also have to leave town. Ms Reggiano would like to accommodate the camps in town.

She said she would also like to see room for a reading lounge, holiday events, or gaming.

Mr Marks would later stress the importance of creating a community center that included space for “free time” and a place to “come and hang out,” rather than only structured programming. He favored space to “hang out, relax, a space to sit,” and make the community center an enjoyable destination for those who are not necessarily there for a particular activity.

“I hope that whatever we have is an attraction 12 months a year and not just for structured [programs],” he said.

Relationship With NYA

Commissioners asked the recreation members and Mrs Llodra about the town’s relationship with NYA Sports & Fitness Center, which may factor in to future community center planning. Under terms of the ground lease for the privately owned facility, the recreation department has roughly 1,500 hours of discounted programming availability a year; however, the NYA scheduling takes priority. The town pays roughly $100,000 annually for this programming time.

Mr Marks admitted that although the town has a reduced rate for NYA space, “we’re competing with paying customers. [The NYA] needs to make ends meet.” The hours available to the recreation department “are not really conducive to our programming,” he said.

Mrs Llodra explained that while the lease, which was done on a government level, took place “with honorable intentions,” the NYA facility is “struggling to stay viable through paying customers.”

Mr Marks said of Parks & Rec’s long-term vision, “We want to offer programming at Fairfield Hills; it’s a perfect focal point for what we want to do.”

Member Bill Buchler also favored recreation administration relocating to the community center from Town Hall South, its current location at 3 Main Street, below the police station.

Saying that the community center “won’t run itself,” the recreation staff could “be custodians for the facility.”

Commission members wondered what the recreation department’s top 20, or even just top five priorities would be.

Ms Mangold said, “We can do that for you, but I also hope we can look more outside the box.” She said, “Things have changed. I would love to see what the community thinks we need.”

Commissioners told Ms Mangold they would be going to the community for feedback.

Funding The Project

Member John Boccuzzi, Jr, mentioned the high number of goals for the community center project, but “just a certain amount of revenue. Maybe we need to do one thing well.”

Mrs Llodra talked about funding built into the town’s Capital Improvement Plan, which can accommodate potential future community center phases beyond GE’s $15 million.

Mr Boccuzzi said, “We know it can’t all be done in one building,” and he wondered how to gain the public’s favor of doing the project in phases.

Mr Buchler discussed what they could afford, then including more planning “down the road.”

Mr Marks said they needed to “have faith that the community will believe in phases.”

Ms Kron said, “We are close to the $10 million in the 2016 CIP,” which could make a phased plan “easier to believe in.”

Ms Mangold concluded her discussion with the commission saying, “The GE gift is really what we needed,” and the gift could help “get us where we need to be.”