Ansonia volunteer urges city to fix H Stone Park fields, cites safety and equity concerns

Jeff Bryce, a volunteer with the Ansonia Soccer Club, told the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday that the Nature Center and H Stone Park fields are in “unacceptable and dangerous” condition after a 2024 contractor project and that nearly 300 participants register each spring.

Bryce said the field remains rocky and the grass failed to take, and he asked the mayor’s office and the board to spend referendum money to repair the fields or to permit his teams to use alternate turf fields while repairs are made. “I just need these fields. I need these fields for these kids to play,” Bryce said.

The appeal highlighted three concrete complaints: the playing surface became unsafe after work by a contractor the prior administration hired, a previously available $5,000 stipend from a neighboring town was cut in the latest budget, and the rec board has not yet provided a field‑use plan. Bryce said his program registers about 300 children per season and roughly 500 unique registrations a year.

Town officials responded that field‑use policy, staffing and public‑safety costs must be sorted before granting blanket use to outside tournaments. A member of the mayor’s staff said the rec board is working on field‑usage rules and that the town does not yet have the signage, ordinances or cost estimates needed to support a multi‑team tournament without charging for police or public‑works overtime.

The board acknowledged an unresolved maintenance history at the site, including a prior $6,000 payment to a contractor that did not produce a lasting repair. Officials said they will look into the matter and indicated the process of scoping and budgeting work would take time. The mayor’s office and rec board said they hope to have field‑use policies and related procedures in place by late spring to allow tournaments in May or June.

The public comment drew support from several aldermen and a pledge from staff to review the outstanding maintenance, funding and scheduling issues. The administration also noted larger parks with standing drainage problems (including Colony Park and Nellington Park) that require separate engineering fixes and may compete for limited referendum dollars.

The board did not take immediate action on the request; officials said staff would research costs, confirm remaining referendum balances and return with options at a future meeting.