If Derby gets state money to bring the high school athletic complex into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, major changes could be in store for the Chatfield Street fields.
As city officials consider the 7‑acre parcel, they are seeking public input about which fields should stay and which fields should be moved.
The Derby High School baseball field seems to be the tough piece of the puzzle to figure out.
About 30 residents, coaches, and public officials attended a public forum on the topic at Derby Middle School Monday.
Schools Superintendent Matthew Conway told them he wants all stakeholders to give input soon, so the city can put together a feasibility study and send plans to State Rep. Theresa Conroy before June, when the legislative session ends.
Conroy plans to lobby for state bonding money to pay for the improvements, like she did in Seymour.
“Every little thought is important to this if it’s going to be right and if it’s going to be great,” Conway told the group.
Baseball Field Needs a Home
The baseball field is currently at the end of the football field, with the cinder track running through the outfield. The upgrade plans call for increasing the size of the football field so it can accommodate soccer games, as well as adding an eight-lane track around the outside so the high school track teams can practice and compete at home.
Those changes would nudge out all the space needed for the baseball field, Conway said.
Options discussed include moving the baseball field to the current softball field, or to the Little League fields on Nutmeg Avenue, which overlook the football field. Both options would require excavating to make enough room for the full baseball field, said Barry Blades, a landscape architect hired by Derby to complete a feasibility study.
Both options would also mean Derby needs to find a new home for the existing fields.
Blades & Goven, which was hired for $7,500, according to Conway, presented the photo below at the forum, which was used as a reference point during the discussion.
Open Real Estate
Derby doesn’t have much room to work with. Conway said officials are looking at spaces at the high school complex, Witek Park on Sentinel Hill Road, and the field space behind Bradley Elementary School, which currently houses middle school softball and baseball fields.
Witek Park is currently home to two city soccer fields.
“Everywhere we have land, we’re looking to put a baseball field,” Conway said.
This isn’t the first time Derby has reviewed its recreational space. Derby hired Milone & MacBroom to review the fields in the 1990s, before the middle school was built at the site.
Click here to read a copy of the 1999 report on the Electronic Valley website. The report is helping guide Blades & Goven in its study, but has key differences — namely the addition of Derby Middle School to the property.
Stakeholders
Board members from Derby Little League were among those at the forum. They said they support the project, but want a seat at the table to make sure the league doesn’t lose part of its season in the transition.
“Our only concern is that we don’t miss a single pitch,” said Rob Hyder, the board’s vice president. “As long as we’re playing baseball, we don’t care where it is.”
Board member Tara Hyder said the city needs to be aware of Little League’s needs when considering a possible move. Those needs include concession stands, bathrooms, and four different types of fields for the different levels of play.
“There’s a lot that goes into a Little League complex,” Tara Hyder said. “So hopefully our needs will be considered.”
Also present was Nicholas DiLuggo, the head coach for boys and girls indoor and outdoor track, as well as the cross country team.
DiLuggo said the project is exciting for the track teams, which have been practicing in odd spaces around the complex and competing at other schools for the last seven years DiLuggo has coached at Derby High School. Jack Walsh, a former Parks and Recreation Commission member, estimated the track team has been doing so for at least 25 years.
“We practice anywhere we can get our feet and be safe,” said DiLuggo said. “It’s challenging.”
Still, the outdoor track team has 60 to 70 members, and the indoor track team has about 45, he said. The girls indoor track team ranked third in the NVL league last year, and the boys outdoor has ranked in the top four for the last five years, DiLuggo said.
The students are excited at the thought of home meets and better quality practice space.
“It’s been very motivating,” DiLuggo said.
Next Steps
Conway asked all residents with input to contact him as soon as possible. (Click here for contact information for his office.) He plans to form a committee to review the feasibility study.
Blades said his report will be simple: a graphic representation of what Derby wants, and a cost estimate for the changes. It’s too early to say how much money Derby will seek, Conway said.
That report will get sent to Conroy, who plans to push it at the state bond council. The earliest Conway expects to see construction would be in June 2016.
“It does take a little bit of work, and you’re always crossing your fingers that the money comes through,” Conroy said.
Conroy recommended Derby request money for a big picture project, and cut from there if the city doesn’t get all the funding it needs. That includes requesting money to move fields off site.
“Just remember, you might get frustrated during the process. We’re going to have to give up a few things as it moves along. But in the end you’ll have a great project,” Conroy said.
