Parking Issues Plague Glander Baseball Complex

By Nancy K. Crevier

It might seem that it is not “Nicer in Newtown” to the parents of 11- and 12-year-old baseball players confronted with No Parking signs posted up and down Mile Hill Road near the two baseball fields that make up Glander Complex, but it is precisely because it has not been nice for homeowners on that road that the parking signs are there.

“It’s difficult when you’re dealing with a lot of people,” said Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian, who has fielded several complaints from Mile Hill residents this spring. “People are parking on [Mile Hill] homeowners’ properties and also on the road,” she said. Parking is never allowed on the street, she said, but the law has been so flouted this year that additional No Parking signs have been erected by the town works department to remind people.

It is not just that people are turning around in driveways that has upset some residents, said Ms Kasbarian. “Some are actually using the driveways as drop-off points for their children or are parking and using the driveway as a point to watch their child’s game.”

Two parking lots are available at Cochran House on Fairfield Hills near the ball fields, she said and should provide ample parking for the games played at Glander Complex. “Parents may not be aware that to the left of Cochran House, as you face it, is a smaller parking area. I’m afraid that the nature of the beast is that no one wants to walk any distance to the field.” Those who continue to ignore the No Parking signs and park along Mile Hill Road will be ticketed, she said.

Matt McWilliams is the president of the Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball League, and he said that he is not sure why complaints have been on the rise this year. He believes that the number of people who use the fields has remained constant for the last several years. He has worked with Parks and Recreation to resolve the parking issue and hopes that the additional No Parking signs will be obeyed by those who use the Glander fields.

Newtown resident Tim Braun, who was raised in Newtown and whose children play ball at Glander Complex, expressed concern to The Bee that enough complaints from the ball fields’ neighbors could lead to the closing of the complex. But Ms Kasbarian said that the closure of the popular fields is not even a consideration.

“Parks and Recreation is addressing this issue,” said Mr McWilliams, “and [the league] has been as proactive as we could be. We sent out e-mails to all of the coaches asking them to remind parents to be courteous and to be aware of the complaints.”

The complaints received at Parks and Recreation include not only unwelcome use of driveways and road blockages, but also that there is too much noise. While the cheers and general excitement of the game of baseball are difficult to tone down, one noise issue Ms Kasbarian has received concerns the use of the public announcement system.

“Evidently, loud rock music was being played through the PA system. That should not be occurring,” said Ms Kasbarian. She has been reassured that only game plays will be announced over the system going forward.

Both Ms Kasbarian and Mr McWilliams said that they have already begun to think about how additional parking will be handled when Newtown hosts the Babe Ruth 50/70 Majors 12-Year-Old Tournament beginning July 7.

“There will be a lot of cars,” said Mr McWilliams. More than a dozen teams from all over Connecticut will take part in the tournament, and parking that can usually accommodate the 140 ball players and their parents will not be adequate. “Last year we got permission to park on Cochran Street, and that worked out well,” said Mr McWilliams, but with twice as many teams expected this year, more parking will be necessary.

Additional parking lots located on the Fairfield Hills campus may be utilized for the overflow parking during the tournament, said Ms Kasbarian, or possibly, the league may need to consider the use of a shuttle service.

In the meantime, Mr McWilliams said that the Newtown Babe Ruth League is urging families who use Glander Complex to be considerate of the neighbors in the area. “This is really a matter of parents and players being courteous,” he said and added that, “If neighbors are having a problem with parents, they need to call the police.”

Mr McWilliams hopes it will not come to that, and that “Nicer in Newtown” can remain this town’s claim to fame.