Commission Approves ‘Cornhole Area’ at Park for Eagle Scout Project

The Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday night voted unanimously in favor of an Eagle Scout project to install a cornhole area in a local park. Troop 70 Life Scout James Generalis told members of the Commission that in designing his Eagle Scout project he “wanted to do something that really impacted the community that a lot of members could use.”

Just which park would take the new cornhole area is not yet settled, he said. “It could either be Kiwanis, it could be Mead, it could be Irwin,” Generalis told the Commission at its regular meeting, held in Lapham Community Center and via videoconference. “It would be ultimately up to you guys to decide where to put it. But you can see I sketched out what I envision the area to look like and the dimensions of the cornhole boards, as well as the [Rams] design we’ll put on the cornhole boards.

Officials Expect to Break Ground This Spring/Summer on New Fitness Area at Waveny

Work is expected to start on the new outdoor fitness equipment area at Waveny this spring/summer, officials say, with the widely anticipated playground project to follow. Located on a grassy, tree-lined island near the Orchard Field lot—currently a seasonal outdoor ice rink—the two playgrounds will serve kids ages 2 to 5, and then 5 to 12, while the fitness area will be for people 13-and-older “and all inclusive,” according to Ryan Restivo, assistant parks superintendent in the Department of Public Works. “And to reiterate on the surfacing, we’ll be using the Poured-In-Place rubber surfacing, which is the same at Mead Playground,” Restivo told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission at their Feb. 7 meeting, held at Lapham Community Center and via videoconference. “It is number one, accessible.

Town Officials To Draft ‘Code of Conduct’ for Public Parks

Town officials say they’re drafting a Code of Conduct for New Canaan’s public parks. Members of the Parks & Recreation Commission are researching a Code of Conduct and plan to draft one for review and approval by the full appointed body and, later, the Board of Selectmen, according to Parks & Rec Chair George Benington. “I think that over the years there have been issues with loud music, alcohol and that kind of stuff, and language,” Benington said during the Commission’s Feb. 7 meeting, held at Lapham Community Center and via videoconference. “So I think to have something that particularly if [Assistant Parks Superintendent] Ryan [Restivo] or [Assistant Recreation Director] Zack [Philippas] are in the parks and they see something, they can say, ‘This is the Code of Conduct policy.’ If we’re in the park and we see something, we can do that as well.”

The comments came during Benington’s general update to the Commission.

Parks & Rec Director: Pickleball Players Suggest Constructing Four Courts in Waveny

Municipal officials are hearing from pickleball enthusiasts that the town should consider installing four courts in Waveny. Parks & Recreation Director John Howe said Wednesday night that he’s heard from a local man on the issue “and he thinks he has a lot of other people.”

The five courts already installed in Mead Park “are going to be busy during the season,” Howe told members of the Parks & Rec Commission during their regular meeting, held at Lapham Community Center and via videoconference. “We think we could fit them in—and there needs to be more research—in the grass area basically between the roadway, the dog park, and the paddle courts, in that area,” Howe said. “But, I just want to throw it out there that what we’re seeing is, pickleball is not going away. And it might be, if we ever do have the new picnic area installed by the paddle courts, and maybe a possible another paddle court, this would possibly be a great place to do it.

Town Finishes Survey Work for Planned New Playground at Waveny

The town has had a survey done of the area at Waveny Park where a new playground is planned, officials said last week. The survey allows the committee that’s steering the playground project to “truly have a design instead of this concept ‘put it over there’ type thing, to really figure out what fits in the area,” according to Parks & Recreation Director John Howe. “We’re working through designs and budget issues and that type of stuff,” Howe told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission at their regular meeting, held Jan. 10 at Lapham Community Center. 

The comments came in response to a request for an update from Commissioner Hank Green. The town’s plan to create a children’s playground in Waveny was first publicly floated in early-2021.