The town should remove funds earmarked to replace fencing around a playground at Kiwanis Park and relocate the equipment there to Waveny Pool, New Canaan’s highest elected official said last week.
The playground at Kiwanis is “used very little,” according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan.
The playground at Kiwanis Park. Credit: Michael Dinan
“Maybe a little bit by the neighborhood,” Moynihan said during a press briefing held Thursday in his office at Town Hall. “But it should be moved over to Waveny where the kids at the pool could go to an adjacent playground.”
He added: “You could build it so that there is a gate from the playground from the pool. A lot of the kids are at the pool. They might just want to go play on it … [Recreation Director] Steve [Benko] said there’s not enough room. Imagine it. I have problems spending money on a new fence for something that is relatively little used in terms of that playground at Kiwanis.”
The comments come as the selectmen’s proposed operating and capital budgets for next fiscal year move to the Board of Finance and Town Council for review. They include a reduced operating budget for Kiwanis Park for the upcoming summer season as well as a $25,000 request from the Recreation Department to replace the damaged 23-year-old fence around the large playground at the Old Norwalk Road facility.
Moynihan has voiced support for a public-private partnership with the New Canaan YMCA under which nearly all taxpayer funds for Kiwanis would be removed and the Y would operate the facility. Selectmen Kit Devereaux and Nick Williams pushed back on that plan, saying the Recreation Department should be given a chance to reimagine and reinvigorate the park this summer. The Board of Selectmen recently voted in favor of a proposed budget that includes funds to operate Kiwanis at a lower figure than in past years. The Board of Finance is to take up the proposed spending plan this month.
Kiwanis Park is open early-June to late-August and features a fresh water pond, sand beach, picnic pavilion and snack bar, in addition to the large playground and beach volleyball courts. It’s used by multiple daycare facilities and summer camps, including the Recreation Department’s and the New Canaan YMCA’s, and officials are discussing the introduction of an open-air ice skating rink in winter. The Exchange Club of New Canaan uses its main parking area for a Christmas tree sale.
The town began taking steps starting last year to change the use of Kiwanis, first by removing the tenants of a house on the property—a residence that the Y would take over for its on-site offices, under the proposal described by Moynihan—and deleting the park from the lease held by its food concession operator. The first selectmen disclosed last month that the town had been talking with the Y’s executive director.
Recreation officials have vowed to produce a viable plan for the town’s continuing operation of the park, and during budget hearings with the selectmen proposed creating a type of “water park” in part of the swimming hole at Kiwanis that could attract teens.
During the briefing, Moynihan said that Kiwanis has cost New Canaan nearly $90,000 annually to operate in the recent years. Benko’s proposed budget, now before the Board of Finance, is for about $57,000.
“You can’t justify spending $90,000 on something that accommodates a handful of people,” Moynihan said.
“I started talking two years ago to the recreation director about is Kiwanis Park worth operating when it costs us $90,000 a year?” he said. “I should say $90,000 a summer for six or eight weeks, when by my own observations, there is nobody there. I went there a couple times last summer to see with my own eyes who is there. There is more staff than kids. And also we have been in discussion with the Y to take over the house because they have a very vibrant 150 person summer camp for eight weeks. And they want to use house as an office space. They use the adjacent locker rooms. I think there are showers in that building.”
Asked whether talks are underway to increase the rate at which the YMCA reimburses the town for its use of Kiwanis, Moynihan said, “That is part of the discussion.”
“I met with the executive director of the Y two weeks ago and we talked about the fact that I said is there a lease? No lease, we have a handshake,” Moynihan said. “So I am sending them a draft lease and we are going to look to increase the rent that they do pay. Not only the house but also it’s been a long time since we raised the rent when their program has grown. And they should share the cost of operating the park.”
What’s going on here? – Why is This park under attack? – The main question should be is why the town have not maintained this park in the level that other parks are? – People moved near here because of this park – You take funds away – Property Valves near this park will fall.
The Kiwanis Park is a lovely area that needs love and is one of the most family friendly parks around especially for our littlest ones. We should give it the change it deserves. In addition, the pool is only available to some but not all residents and has a limited time of operation. If the pool area in Waveny is to be the home then different access needs to be considered to make it available then just the limited summer season.
Kevin should pick on people his own size, not toddlers and elementary school children. Geez. How about managing the gas co and the water co who are tearing up our roads with no relief/repairs in sight. Just check out Field Crest Road and Village Drive and see for yourself.
I’ve never brought my grandkids there because I didn’t know there was a playground there. Has anyone asked the parents at Mead Park why they don’t take their kids to Kiwanis? Is lack of knowledge the reason it is not used? Do facilities need to be upgraded? I think the problem needs to be more thoroughly identified. Myself, I would LOVE to see a splash zone so I didn’t have to drive my little guys to neighboring towns for fun play.
A new sign letting the public know what is available to them at Kiwanis Park which includes a sandy beach, child swim area, adult swim area, life guards, a new child swing and climbing area, showers and leg wash area and bathrooms. In addition for the beach large umbrellas costing a couple of thousand each for this year. So without a new and updated sign the park would be thought of as just another park to jog or walk like Waveny or Irwin. Also People drive buy often associate Kiwanis with the child care center in the front and new residents don’t catch on to the parks existence for years and years.
We moved to the neighborhood 2 years ago – and the park was a key attraction for us…..little did we know that its the least cared for park in New Canaan.
I find the First Selectman’s ongoing assault on Kiwanis park sickening.
He seems very happy to use the park for the Exchange Club Christmas tree sale (that’s all he seems to think the park is good for), but meanwhile he is actively starving the park of funds for its basic operation.
I agree with you, Robin. My family lived here for over 22 years and Kiwanis Park was the main attraction for us with our then two-year old son. However, we all agree that it has not been maintained to the same extent as New Canaan’s other parks.
Case in point, when the 50+ year old benches near the basket ball court became rusty, my teenage son sanded and painted them annually for 5 years. Kiwanis Park has been neglected for years just like Bristow Bird Sanctuary.
Now Kevin is interested in removing the playground and the focus is in an open ice rink (New Canaanite December 10 2019):
“(Commissioner) Goodman noted that some $500,000 to $750,000 would need to be fundraised in order to run the proposed rink for two trial years.” Sounds to me like another Athletic Fields overrun project.
Hi Robin – why don’t you organize a Saturday or Sunday in March or early April and invite the town to come down and help do a spring cleaning of the Park. You can see what kind of supplies that we need (sounds like sandpaper and paint has been an issue for years) and see if some local businesses will donate that – if not that is not possible – I am sure some folks would be happy to contribute a bit of money as well as time. I expect the town can supply some extra trash bags for whatever needs to be picked up and even pick an extra project that they think could be helpful to be done. We would be happy to help out with our kids, and a good way to show off the park to families, and see if they want to purchase a season pass for the summer. Include the folks selling Christmas trees in the discussion – I am sure they are keen for the park to continue to look good.