I created the humorous illustration [at right] of the Great Lawn in front of St. Marks Church in 2009, 11 years ago.
Mary Anne Case illustration
At that time the drawing marked the 60th anniversary of May Fair. This year the Great Lawn at St. Mark’s will be home to May Fair for 71 years. May Fair is the celebration of the St. Mark’s community reaching out to the town of New Canaan, and other communities, not only on the day of the fair but all year long through outreach programs funded by May Fair proceeds.
By attending May Fair, the public supports the mission of St. Mark’s and its Outreach Commission, and helps to fund generous outreach donations to charitable organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. About 500 St. Mark’s and community volunteers come together to make May Fair happen each year. My illustration shows the Great Lawn and May Fair from the vantage of the proposed Waveny Facility.
I wonder how both the proposed Waveny Facility and Mayfair will be able to function if the Waveny Facility is built? May Fair is installed a day or two before Friday Night Lights begins and is miraculously removed Saturday night after May Fair is over and before the Sunday service at St. Mark’s. Only volunteers with parking passes have been allowed in the access road to the church during this time—the same access road that will be shared with the proposed Waveny Facility—and the Inn. Each year a tent is raised across the St. Mark’s interior road leading to the exit.
How will the dwellers of the proposed facility exit their units? How will the Fire Marshall handle the traffic problem?
The Great Lawn functions as a park for the remainder of the year.
The proposed Waveny Facility is a Life Plan Community. It is not a traditional CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) because assisted living is not included and because it does not share the same campus as the Waveny Care Center. It is more akin to a resident hotel with meals and housekeeping.
M A Case, senior