(Left) Proposed changes to Nolan Field, (Right) Gatison Park.
ANSONIA – With Election Day scheduled for Nov. 5, everybody’s talking about improving parks in Ansonia.
State Rep. Kara Rochelle sent a press release on Oct. 22 detailing the results of a survey about Gatison Park she and First Ward Alderman Dan King organized.
Meanwhile, Mayor Cassetti and the Board of Aldermen looked at a report on Oct. 8 detailing $10,053,000 of proposed improvements at Nolan Field and other city parks.
Cassetti is challenging Rochelle for her seat in the state House. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Cassetti Admin Wants To Borrow $10 Million For Field Improvements
The parks included in the Oct. 8 report are Nolan Field, Abe Stone Park, Ansonia Nature Center, and Nelligan Field. The total cost is estimated at $10,053,000, according to an estimate prepared by consulting engineering firm DeCarlo & Doll.
Last year, Ansonia voters approved $10.2 million in borrowing for improvements to city fields, including “the construction of a turfed field at Nolan Athletic Complex for multi-sport use and facility improvements at Nolan Field.”
City corporation counsel John Marini said the city expects to borrow that money in January 2025. The report was prepared by the recreation advisory board, a 12-member board that includes – among others – Ansonia High School football coach Tom Brockett, Ansonia High School girls’ soccer coach Steve Kish, and city recreation director Jeff Coppola.
The vast majority of that cost is for proposed improvements to Nolan Field, estimated to be $9,120,000. The proposal includes installing turf on all fields, and creating new fields on that turf to be used for soccer, football, and baseball. Other field improvements include reconstructing three tennis courts, installing LED lighting and fencing throughout the field, and upgrading bleachers to be more accessible.
Part of that estimate also includes renovating the Kennedy Field House, restrooms, and concession stands. Parking space would also be added where the basketball/pickleball court currently is, with that court being moved to where the cell tower currently is.
The proposal includes $592,000 for Abe Stone Park, next to Colony Pond. That money would go toward the reconstruction of the existing soccer field and irrigation system, the relocation of the basketball court, and installation of fencing and a restroom.
The Ansonia Nature Center and Nelligan Field improvements come in at $218,000 and $123,000, respectively, with the money going toward rehabilitation of current fields and repairs.
Rochelle said the city is taking too long to borrow the money that was approved last year. She said it’s because the city is on shaky financial ground, pointing to the fact that it sold its wastewater facility treatment plant to utility company Aquarion in June.
“There’s a lot of really worthy projects, and it’s been over a year and they haven’t gone out to bond for them yet. It seems like it’s been an awful lot of lagging on investing in neighborhoods across Ansonia,” she said.
Cassetti said the city is waiting to borrow money until a firm is selected through the bidding process.
“We are rock-solid financially,” he said.
Rochelle Releases Survey Results For Gatison Park
Separate from the above proposed improvements, Rochelle released the results from a survey about how $100,000 in state funds should be spent for improvements at Gatison Park on Oct. 22.
Gatison Park was not one of the parks looked at by the recreation advisory board.
The survey asked residents to select from a list of things they’d like to see prioritized as the city decides how to spend the money. The top-scoring items were “upgraded playground equipment,” “well-maintained grounds, clean facilities,” and “please clean up after your pet signs.”
Other items that scored highly included improved lighting, safety features (such as security cameras), and shaded areas for seating.
Rochelle previously held a community meeting with First Ward Alderman Dan King in June for residents to provide input on the funds’ usage.
When the funds were originally included in a state bill in May, Cassetti voiced some skepticism to The Valley Indy, pointing to previous improvements at the park made by Burns Construction. He said it was unlikely that $100,000 in improvements are still needed.
People who took the poll said they wanted a better park.
“There is a real hunger by the residents to have an improved park over there,” Rochelle said. “So that’s an important lesson for others to see, especially those in public service who had made prior statements that the park is fine as-is. The residents really do want more, and they deserve more.”
Cassetti said he had not seen the survey.
The Ansonia Board of Aldermen, under recommendation from the city, formed a Gatison Park subcommittee in June. That subcommittee met once on June 24 and scheduled a site visit with consulting engineers DeCarlo & Doll in July.
“Everything will be done the way we typically handle grants, federal and state, through a bidding process, of course in conjunction with our departments – in this instance, it’s public works – to determine what’s the best use of funds,” city economic development director Sheila O’Malley said during the June 24 meeting.
DeCarlo & Doll is also the firm consulted by the city for the rest of the city’s field and park improvements.
