Town Officials Eye $10,000 to Fix Playing Fields’ Fences
Town officials are hoping to repair dented and otherwise damaged fences on town playing fields. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Recreation Department
Town officials are hoping to repair dented and otherwise damaged fences on town playing fields. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Recreation Department
Town officials are hoping to repair dented and otherwise damaged fences on town playing fields. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Recreation Department
Town officials are hoping to repair dented and otherwise damaged fences on town playing fields. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Recreation Department
Town officials are hoping to repair dented and otherwise damaged fences on town playing fields. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Recreation Department
Calling the beat-up fencing at sports fields near the water tower at Waveny a “bad advertisement for the town,” officials are seeking to pay $10,000 in repairs out of the General Fund.
Recreation Director Steve Benko told the Board of Selectmen on Jan. 23 that baseball, soccer and lacrosse in 10 years have taken a severe toll on the safety fence fabric in front of the benches on the three softball fields at Waveny, as well as the Coppo Field backstop.
“I get all kinds of comments from people—‘I went to a lacrosse thing last spring and look at this fencing,’ ” Benko said during his budget presentation, in the Training Room at the New Canaan Police Department. “It looks horrible.”
Benko had included the estimated $10,000 in new fencing in his capital budget requests (see page 62 here), but the selectmen said it was important to get it done sooner than July 1 if possible.
“This almost looks like vandalism,” Selectman Beth Jones said, perusing through some photos Benko had taken (see gallery above).
Benko said he originally had wanted black chain link fencing, but couldn’t find anyone who made it, so a vinyl wire material was found that’s proven less durable as soccer, lacrosse and baseballs crash into it. Athletic Director Jay Egan found a better material that’s being used at Dunning, he said.
First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said: “I’ll tell you what, you’re coming from Greenwich or Darien or wherever and you’re playing lacrosse and you come to my town and you are seeing a beautiful field and then that surrounds it? That is not a good advertisement.”