Fall Of 2007 Could See A Baseball Field At FFH

By Kendra Bobowick

Parents carrying lawn chairs and blankets looking for an advantageous spot to settle on a sloped lawn and see their child smack a line drive came to mind Tuesday evening as Fairfield Hills Authority members heard more detailed plans for the ball field, trails, and parking at the former state hospital campus.

Shouts of “foul ball” could ring out from a first base umpire as soon as the fall of 2007, according to discussions this week.

Overall, FFA Chairman Robert Geckle believes that this phase of Fairfield Hills campus development involving a temporary parking area and baseball field, which would entail demolition of Fairfield House, and new and revamped walking trails, could begin after the coming winter’s thaw.

“I want to start construction in the spring,” he said. Several steps stand between the authority and the first shovels breaking ground, however. Architectural plans must be finalized, projects must go out to bid, and the funding, which will be allocated from the overall $21 million bonded for Fairfield Hills, must be approved.

Specifically, the authority requested that architects come back next month with a timeline for this scope of work.

“I think everyone here would like to keep the ball moving,” Mr Geckle said.

The authority also asked for more thorough drawings depicting the trail, field and parking. So far, the design has been refined gradually and is not yet at 100 percent.

“This is further development of a package to give someone to bid,” said Mr Geckle. Essentially, he described this as “adding layers to the onion.”

 He continued, “[Developers] will be basing their bids on that package.”

Authority members have some homework to do before plans are confirmed.

Design developers are seeking feedback before pushing blueprints any further. “If you think we’re going in the wrong direction, that’s what this phase is all about,” said Gary Sorge, a partner with Vollmer Associates LLP.

The authority also wants to see design standards for the overall campus project.

Making a motion, Walter Motyka said, “I move we proceed with setting design standards for the campus; lighting, parking, planting, signage, overall campus treatment.”

Mr Sorge believes that design standards will be more appealing to potential developers assessing and bidding on the plans.

“It’s essentially portfolio suggestions for the types of lighting, for example,” he said. Each authority member received a copy of prints detailing the field, trails, and parking and has agreed to write down and initial comments and get them back to designers within two weeks.

Encouraging their feedback, Mr Sorge said, “None of this is formal, this is open for comment.” Speaking up was Parks and Recreation Chair Edward Marks, who was listening in on developments concerning the playing field.

Initially he commented, “I think the field is small…the high school field is larger…” He later speculated that the plans would most likely be fine, and has agreed to leave a copy of prints in the Parks and Recreation office also seeking additional responses.

Schematic drawings detailed grading to situate the baseball field where Fairfield House now stands at the end of Fairfield Circle North.

Mr Sorge said, “We have dropped and rotated [the field] to minimize grading.” The move will shift the distance between the field and Kent House, increasing the space by roughly 20 feet. The authority members briefly inquired about where the crowd would gather to watch the game.

O&G Industries Inc Preconstruction Manager Scott Baillie explained, “Spectators have a hill in the outfield.” He also said that plans could be drawn to include seating.

Regarding a sloped spectators’ area, he said, “The access to the back to sit on the hill is there.” Mr Baillie described how another aspect of field plans — future lighting — created an opportunity for a passageway to the seating area. The Parks and Recreation Commission has plans for eventual lighting for a ball field in their capital improvement plans. The authority is considering putting lighting foundations in as part of their project.

Mr Baillie said spectators could get to the hillside (that would remain after field grading) “via the road for lighting maintenance.”

Mr Marks confirmed that a hillside would work out for spectators.

“Most people bring their lawn chairs or blankets anyway,” he said. Considerations about how best to finish the field — grass seed or sod — eventually turned to timelines and costs. Seeded surfaces would take slightly longer to cultivate, while a sodded field could be ready by the fall of 2007.

“Sod is player-ready, but it costs more, but with a look at the budget, you might decide to seed,” Mr Sorge said. Mr Marks felt seeding would be sufficient.

“We have had pretty good success with seed,” he said. Mr Baillie also noted that the plans call for field irrigation, which would promote seed.

Fencing the ball field turned out to be an aesthetic consideration.

Mr Sorge explained, “This is something you need to visualize.” Encouraging authority members to picture the field as fenced in the future, he said, “You have always had a vision for that campus.,” and asked if they could see the area with a field enclosed by a six- or eight-foot fence, for example.

Mr Geckle insists that plans are occurring in a timely manner and much needs to be done before actual work begins. This project can only go out to bid after plans have been completed, approved by the authority, and supported by town officials.

“We’ll keep marching,” he said.

Estimated costs for these projects are roughly $600,000 for this field, which includes engineering.

The master plan details an estimated $1.8 million in construction and design costs for playing fields. Outlined are design costs for the playing fields and town hall at $800,000, construct playing fields (four multipurpose and two 90-foot baseball) at $600,000, constructing two youth baseball at $200,000 and two youth softball at $200,000. Engineering costs are also included in these figures.

Previously explaining the financial constraints, Mr Geckle had said that costs in the master plan had been estimates and that future funding could come through grants and fundraising, for example. He also indicated that fields would be completed in an order of priority. Parks and Recreation Committee members have prioritized this one field as most urgent.