Work Resumes On Amaral Fields And Dickinson Bathrooms

By Steve Bigham

The action along Elm Drive heated up during the past couple of weeks as workers from the town’s Public Works Department returned to tackle a pair of unfinished jobs.

At the former Amaral property, the department has spent the past few weeks trying to complete its grading project for two new ball fields slated to open next spring. In June, the town is slated to turn the site over to the Deering Construction Company of Norwalk, which is being paid $415,000 to develop the fields.

Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian said this week’s council decision would allow kids to begin playing baseball and softball on the Amaral Property by the spring of 2002.

“Once these fields are built and ready for play next spring, its really going to ease the crunch quite a bit for the baseball/softball sports,” she said.

Some residents and town officials have complained about what they consider to be an excessive cost to build the fields at that location, and some question whether the Elm Drive location is suitable for athletic fields. They point out that the cost to purchase the property ($400,000), Deering’s fee ($426,300), and the highway department manpower (approximately $200,000) puts the cost of the two fields at more than $500,000 apiece.

Still others argue that the construction of the two fields is absolutely essential as the town tries to overcome its shortage of fields.

Dickinson Bathrooms Back On Track

At Dickinson Park, the bathrooms that were supposed to be completed more than two years ago may finally be open for service this summer. Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian is hoping the bathrooms are up and flushing in time for summer camp. This week, the septic tank was installed, paving the way for the actual construction of the building. The bathroom facility will be located between the pavilion and the tennis courts.

In both the bathrooms and the ball fields projects, the highway department was called on to bail the town out. Originally, the bathrooms were supposed to be constructed by an outside firm. However, contractors backed out – in favor of larger jobs – on two different occasions. Finally, the town turned to Public Works Director Fred Hurley and his crew to finish the job.

It was a similar situation at the Amaral property last year following the town budget’s defeat. As the Legislative Council searched for places to cut, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal offered the services of the highway department as a $200,000 cost-saving measure.