High School Field Project Approved By Boards

By Tanjua Damon

Newtown High School sports teams are a step closer to being able to practice and play games back at the high school after two boards agreed to a $1.2 million field project that will add playing fields to the facility.

The Newtown Board of Education and the town Public Building and Site Commission were presented with a project plan by Clough, Harbour & Associates during a joint meeting October 18. The two bodies agreed to have the plans brought to Hartford for approval by the Department of Education Facilities Unit. 

The Legislative Council included $600,000 for the field project in June when residents approved a $21.8 million municipal spending package. The project is also eligible for state reimbursement up to 20 percent of the project because school officials and the town have not deemed the high school expansion project complete.

“The project really began in June of this year. I know it has been a topic for a number of years,” Director of Business Ron Bienkowski said. “We were successful in being able to add this on to the high school expansion project because we never formally closed it.”

The architectural firm Clough, Harbour & Associates specializes in sports facility projects and has come up with a plan that will provide eight fields in the back of the high school. Currently, sports teams use the fields minimally because of their bad condition with rocks and ruts.

“This has had to be one of the most challenging projects,” David Sousa of Clough, Harbour & Associates said. “The fields are inadequate even for practice. Beyond that we are providing significantly more fields than what’s currently there.”

There are currently three and a half fields on the 12-acre site. Five additional fields will be constructed, allowing for six full-sized fields for baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey. There will also be two smaller practice fields.

The fields will be handicap accessible and will have a walking/jogging trail intertwined leading to the various fields.

Several residents attended the joint meeting and were pleased with the project’s progress in what it will offer the town.

“I’m certainly glad the Board of Education has proceeded with this. The high school is not useable. It has been a pain in the neck for everyone else,” resident Pat Barczak said. “There’s going to be a lot of things there. There needs to be a united front. It’s going to be very important in the future.”

Resident Larry Whippie expressed concern that if the fields were not maintained once they were completed then the town would be in a similar situation that they are in now.

“If we put these fields in and don’t maintain them properly we’re going to be in the same place we are now,” Mr Whippie said. “It’s sad that we can’t fill in the ruts that are back there so they can be used.”

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed explained that the fields would have a maintenance plan. Dr Reed said that the fields are essential to bring the sports teams back to the high school to relieve town fields.

“It’s exciting,” Board of Education Chairman Elaine McClure said. “Let’s hope we can find the money for it.”