Select committee reviews park upgrades, security cameras and summer events

Select person Jason Hayes reported that the third component of a new playscape for Grand Brook Park has arrived and installers were expected to begin assembly this week. He said the town has milled and prepared surfaces for repaving a half-court and an area converted from former tennis courts, and that camera installation approved at an earlier meeting will proceed to improve safety around the park.

Hayes described the camera plan in some detail, saying cameras will cover the park entrance and both parking lots, provide a 360-degree view from a bird’s-nest camera near the snack shack and monitor the outfield via a camera mounted on the recently installed scoreboard. He said license-plate reading capability is an available, higher-cost option and that the town could enable an auditory cue to notify anyone in the park after hours that the park is closed.

The announcement also included a schedule of community events: Hayes said the town held a successful July 4 parade with Granby, and that Aug. 21 will feature a concert at East Granby Farms sponsored by Advanced Wheels and Northwest Community Bank followed by a 20-minute fireworks display at 8:30 p.m. A children’s “Touch-a-Truck” event is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. and the concert is slated for 6 to 8 p.m. Hayes said on Sept. 13 the Lions Club Duck Derby and a time-capsule dedication handled by the East Grama chapter of the North Central Connecticut veterans will mark the completion of park work.

Hayes said installing cameras and other safety features was intended to reduce vandalism and trespass incidents; he noted gates are locked at sunset and that police perform sweeps, but that intruders entering on foot along the bike trail or from the park’s rear prompted consideration of broader camera coverage and audible warnings.