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TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION
MADDEN ROOM AUGUST 5, 2002
SOUTH WINDSOR TOWN HALL TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Aman called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m.
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor William Aman
Deputy Mayor Matthew Streeter
Councillor Barbara Barbour
Councillor Paul Burnham
Councillor Thomas Delnicki
Councillor Deborah Fine
Councillor Edward Havens
Councillor John Pelkey
Members Absent: Councillor Lassman Fisher
Also Present: Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan
Town Attorney Barry Guliano
3. Public Participation - None
4. Executive Session
At 6:15 p.m., Councillor Barbour moved to go into Executive Session to discuss evaluations and possible salary increases for Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Clerk of the Council. The Motion was seconded by Councillor Pelkey; and approved, unanimously.
The Executive Session ended at approximately 8:00 p.m. and the remainder of the Work Session addressed.
5. Items for Discussion
A. Reports to be Received from Vollmer Assocs. Regarding Layouts and Estimated Costs for Proposed Recreational Facilities
After deciding that Agenda Items A., B., and C. were so closely related that they could be discussed under one item, Mayor Aman asked Gary Sorge (Vollmer Associates) to
Before proceeding, Mr. Sorge informed Council that, although he would not be discussing the project in detail this evening, he had learned that $250,000 had been allocated for
Speaking first of the Lawrence Road property, Mr. Sorge said that the parking being provided had been reduced in size which would support and provide parking for a future
The interior of the parcel (which, Mr. Sorge added, would not have formal fields) would be cleared and have a
Mayor Aman then asked that the spreadsheet including cost estimates regarding Lawrence Road now be addressed. Mr. Sorge then went over those figures, and added that a 15% contingency was included in the amounts.
Questions from the Councillors regarding Lawrence Road followed.
5. A., B., C. (Continued)
The next area to be discussed was the Priest Property. Mr. Sorge said that the program for this property included a walking path, from Pierce Road to Sullivan Avenue. Shown on the sketch, he said, was a 10-foot wide path extending from Pierce to Sullivan; a parking lot for 20 vehicles, gravel lot. There are boardwalk-type crossings, where needed in the vicinity of seasonal streambeds. (See cost estimates on attached
Questions regarding cost of maintenance, possible need for
Nevers Road Park
The new baseball field, including lighting would cost approximately $567,672; and the skate park would be about $203,688.
A discussion continued regarding the size and cost ($284,016) of the proposed paved parking lot at the right side of the Community Center. There was also a discussion regarding objections from neighbors of Nevers Road Park to the public address system already located and operating at the Press Box in Nevers Road Park. When questioned, Mr. Sorge estimated that it was between 150-175 feet from the dugouts to the senior housing on Nevers Road.
There was also a question for the need for an additional baseball field at Nevers Road Park, particularly in light of the fact that two were being planned for the I-291 corridor location.
When asked by Council if it would be possible to
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
Moving on to the I-291 Corridor property, Mr. Sorge informed Council that there were actually two Easements running side by side through this property
Continuing, Mr. Sorge pointed out that this property had access off of Ellington Road, Route 30, where approximately 200 parking spaces are shown
With regard to accommodations for the program in this areaExhibit B. These included two fields sized specifically to
Items included in this Schematic that Council may eventually elect to remove, according to Mr. Sorge, were a pavilion, restrooms, concession, and a storage area and--just to the south of these, a playscape area.
Mr. Sorge felt that this site worked well for accommodating the Town
A discussion ensued regarding
Seeking confirmation as to what Council wished, Mr. Sorge asked if lighting was scheduled for one of the fields at the
Questions regarding other appurtenances, the location of the fields, pathways, etc., and the costs associated with each were then discussed.
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
Council also asked the Town Manager about the lost economic development value of the land being scheduled for these fields. Councillor Barbour stated that she wanted to be certain that the Town did not later regret losing this land for that purpose. Mr. Galligan responded that the power lines located at this site were a deterrent to some businesses
The Town Manager continued by saying that what he envisioned was an entire economic development program around
Discussion then centered on the possibility of not developing some of the fields at the present time until the Board of Education decides what it would be doing with its current fields and any new athletic fields it was planning for the future.
Regarding the
Mr. Sorge pointed out that, although a very good concept, the Town would be in deep trouble if the Town went to Referendum assuming that someone would be volunteering to build the 25,000 square foot masonry structure. He felt it was more prudent to
At this time, Mayor Aman asked the Town Manager to explain the engineering expenses associated with this proposed Referendum Question. Usually, he added, they are 8% of the total costs; and staff felt that the 15%
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
Mr. Galligan said that in his search to reduce the total cost, he looked at: (1) elimination of the bleachers at the soccer fields at Lawrence Road; the delay, until a later date, the entire Priest property project until such time as
Mayor Aman referring to the
Councillor Delnicki offered that it could cost
Mr. Galligan then went on to describe
The Town Manager then mentioned what items might be eliminated from the project, should the Town Council so desire.
Mayor Aman then asked the Chairman of Park and Recreation, Craig Zimmerman, if he had a specific request he wished to deliver from the Little League organization. Mr. Zimmerman said that Little League wished two items to be addressed by this possible Referendum Questions
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
his additional baseball field, Mr. Zimmerman said, was
Mayor Aman repeated what he understood to be the request (through Mr. Zimmerman) of the baseball community
Councillor Pelkey asked when the renovation (etc.) of the gymnasium at Ellsworth School was eliminated from the proposed Referendum Question. Mr. Galligan said he understood, from one of the prior meetings, that Council wished to do this under the Capital Improvements Plan. That, he added, is why he was confused. Mayor Aman added that he had not received a reply back from the Superintendent of Schools as to where this project fit in with the Board of Education
Until he receives a
Councillor Pelkey then brought up the subject of the
There was general agreement that the new baseball field at Nevers Road was a
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
In agreement with a comment by Councillor Pelkey, Mr. Galligan said that, in the Town-wide Survey,
The Town Manager agreed; and pointed out that very few people use the Wildlife Sanctuary on Niederwerfer Road because it is secluded
A discussion as to what to consider eliminating from the $4.6 million price tag led to further discourse on what could be done without
Deputy Mayor Streeter then suggested it might be necessary, in order to realize a
Mr. Galligan stated that a suggestion by the Planning Department, Open Space Task Force, and
A discussion then followed about the future possibility of a
Mayor Aman reminded the Town Council that next week
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
Presenting another possible scenario, Councillor Fine suggested that, looking at Exhibit 2, I-291, take out the
Councillor Burnham stated is was his feelings that, if a
There was general agreement that
Mayor Aman asked Gary Sorge if he had anything further to bring before the Council.
Before Mr. Sorge had an opportunity to respond, responded, Craig Zimmerman, the Chairman of Park and Recreation asked for a moment to quote a statistic from U.S.A. Today which had recently stated that
When asked if he would be willing to give up one of the baseball fields for a skate park, Mr. Zimmerman replied that he was the wrong person to ask that question; however, he did say his remarks by requesting that monies saved by
5. A., B. C. (Continued)
Deputy Mayor Streeter asked Mr. Sorge, if the Referendum Question was approved by the voters, how long he estimated these projects would take to complete. Saying that he has always included
In an effort to pin down what the Council was actually asking, Mayor Aman asked that if the Referendum passes in November and the Council gives the
Mr. Sorge said it was possible to design it in December, January, and February; then the Town must go out to bid, and come up with its contractors' list. He estimated that the Contractors would not be chosen until the summertime
After further discussion, Mayor Aman concluded that what Mr. Sorge was saying that it would probably be the Spring of 2005 (or, at the earliest, the Fall of 2004) before these facilities can actually be used.
The Mayor again pointed out that next week (August 12) the Town Council
Mayor Aman then asked the Members of the Town Council if there was any further information they wished to be provided at the September 3rd meeting for the television public. He also asked if the Members were
5. A. (Continued)
A brief discussion ensued following Gary Sorge
6. Adjournment
A Motion to adjourn was made at 10:25 p.m.; duly seconded; and approved, unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia R. Brown
Clerk of the Council
Attmts.: (Exhibits A. and B.)
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