Town staff seek multi‑year park capital funds, including irrigation, bleachers and Dunning upgrades
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Summary
Parks staff presented capital requests including $175,000 for irrigation replacement at Mead and Saxon Connor, an estimated $100,000 for bleacher repairs, $2 million listed for Dunning Stadium enterprise‑zone work and smaller items (playground fixes, AED replacements, track resurfacing, water fountains).
John (Parks Department presenter) reviewed the parks capital request, framing several items as either ready to construct this summer or part of an ongoing multi‑year program.
Irrigation and field work: staff asked for $175,000 to fund irrigation replacement work at Mead Park and Saxon Connor after bids returned within reach of available funds. John said the request will allow the town to replace piping and sprinklers at those fields when school is out.
Bleachers and Dunning Stadium: staff flagged potential structural work on bleachers and requested a contingency figure around $100,000 while a final quote is pending; John said he prefers to request enough now to avoid a mid‑season closure if repairs run long. Tiger (town staff referenced for Dunning) and John tied a separate $2,000,000 enterprise‑zone line for Dunning Stadium to ADA accessibility and parking‑lot safety improvements; John said Tiger would present details at the board of finance capital hearing.
Smaller capital items: the list includes playground updates ($30,000 proposed for Kiwanis repairs), replacement of outdoor AEDs (about $30,000 to replace end‑of‑life units installed under a Norwalk Hospital grant), picnic‑table and bench replacements, track resurfacing and a $9,000 water‑fountain tie‑in for the high‑school track area. Staff also proposed a 30‑by‑60 pavilion at Waveny to support summer camp operations and rentals; John said the pavilion design is not complete and the site would be adjacent to summer‑camp tents and fields.
Staff explained some items had been deferred (the Kiwanis splash‑pad design was removed) pending a master plan; they recommended convening a Kiwanis master‑plan committee before committing to standalone features. John said the New Canaan Athletic Foundation currently holds funds for future field surfacing and carpet replacement but is not contributing to ongoing bleacher maintenance.
Ending: Staff framed the capital packet as a mix of maintenance priorities and new amenities; they asked capital funders to prioritize irrigation and safety‑critical bleacher work and to expect further detail from sports‑stadium staff on the Dunning enterprise‑zone request.
