Government

Parks Department: 92 of 120 Out-of-Town Families Returning to Steve Benko Pool This Season

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Of about 120 non-New Canaan families that held passes to the Steve Benko Pool last year, 92 have said they want to come back for this season, parks officials say. Thrown into a lottery with hundreds of other non-resident families in years past, the town this year is offering “right of first refusal” to out-of-towners who want to return to the popular facility in Waveny. “We did give the option for out-of-town members to re-sign up so that they wouldn’t have to go into the lottery, so that if they make friends they’d be able to still come, and we had 92 families that wanted to come back,” according to Parks & Recreation Director John Howe. The town has always capped the number of nonresident families allowed to purchase the passes, which are far more expensive (up to $1,450 per season this year) than for New Canaanites ($455 as of 2020). While the town can accommodate the 92 returning out-of-town families, it can’t take “the other 300 families” from surrounding towns such as Darien who want to use the Steve Benko Pool, Howe told members of the Parks & Rec Commission at their most recent meeting.

Government

Parks Department: ‘Waveny Playground’ on Track for May Opening

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Following a winter storm, blizzard and sustained low temperatures, the widely anticipated new playground at Waveny is on track for a May opening, officials say. Originally set for April, the launch was pushed back slightly because the Poured-In-Place rubber surface “requires temperatures above 50 degrees for a consistent period,” according to Superintendent of Parks Ryan Restivo. “You’ll see the equipment has been installed, though the surface is muddy right now,” Restivo told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission at their most recent meeting, held March 11 at Lapham Center and via videoconference. 

“We need about one week of consistent temperatures above 50” for the surfacing to go in, Restivo said. He continued: “On our end, we’ll do top-soiling and seeding on the surrounds, and then any walkways and the entrance patio will follow that. I know last meeting said April-ish but now we’re looking into May with the snow cover that we’ve had.

Government

Returning Nonresident Families To Get ‘First Refusal’ for Limited Steve Benko Pool Passes

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The town is changing how out-of-town families acquire passes to the Steve Benko Pool, officials say. Nonresident families are charged far more (up to $1,450 per season this year) for passes to the popular Waveny facility than New Canaan families (at $455 as of 2020), and the number of passes issued to out-of-town families has always been capped. In the past, nonresident families also have had to reapply for a pass each year through a lottery system. This year, “we’re giving the people that were members last year first refusal,” according to Parks & Recreation Director John Howe. 

“Just so that the family comes, they have a great time, they don’t have to go back into the lottery,” Howe told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission during their Feb. 11 meeting, held at Lapham Center and via videoconference.

Claire Drexler

Parks & Rec Approves Oct. 18 ‘Caffeine & Carburetors’ Show at Waveny

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Town officials last week approved the use of New Canaan’s most popular park for a car show in the fall. 

“Caffeine & Carburetors,” a locally founded auto show featuring antique and specialty cars, is on track to be held Sunday, Oct. 18 at Waveny, following a unanimous vote by the Parks & Recreation Commission. “This is a great program for New Canaan,” Commissioner Hank Green said during the appointed body’s Jan. 14 meeting, held at the Lapham Center and via videoconference. C&C Director of Business Development Claire Drexler noted that the 2025 Waveny event raised $27,000 for the Waveny Park Conservancy after netting $24,000 for the nonprofit organization the prior year.

Government

‘We Think a Lot of the Misuse Will Stop’: New Fob Entry System Coming to Spencer’s Run Jan. 6

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Parks officials are preparing to activate a new entry/exit system for the dog park in Waveny to ensure that those using the facility are registered to do so. So far this year, where a punch-in code is required to enter Spencer’s Run, the dog park has just 175 dogs who are newly registered or renewed to use it—about 53% of them New Canaan residents. That’s compared to more than 400 registered dogs in the past, according to Parks & Recreation Commissioner Susan Lione. The new system will see users scan a town-issued fob to enter and exit. “We are hoping with the new lock, we will be able to track people and people will be registered, the number of people that are actually using it,” Lione said during the Commission’s regular meeting, held Nov.