South Windsor Fields Project to Go Forward

The Town Council moved to go forward with the scaled-down version of the athletic fields project as Democrats and Republicans sparred over hot-button issues Monday night.

The smaller project, which includes an artificial turf field, a grass field, and a parking lot for 89 cars, could be done without costing the taxpayers any additional tax dollars, councilors and subcommittee members Keith Yagaloff and Deputy Mayor Bazzano said.

When leased, the $375,000 turf field would cost the town just $46,000 a year, which Yagaloff asked Town Manager Matthew Galligan to find room for in the existing operating budget.

The proposal was unanimously recommended by the fields subcommittee and gained the support of all but two of the councilors.

Dr. Saud Anwar said that he, too, has children who use the town’s athletic fields but in light of residents suffering under too-high taxes, a looming schools project and the outcry of neighbors of the proposed project site, he felt it was neither the right time nor the right place for new fields.

Mayor Tom Delnicki might have supported the project but cast his vote as “not without a public hearing” on the matter.

The initial plan, which would have cost $2.4 million, got a public hearing that saw hundreds of residents attend. The new plan, legally, did not need a new hearing, councilors said, but the mayor insisted. 

In response, Yagaloff offered a motion to hold a public hearing Oct. 21 – the council’s next meeting, at which the matter would likely be discussed anyway. It was rejected by the Republican caucus minus Delnicki.

“A public hearing would just delay the matter. The time is right,” said Kevin McCann, adding that construction costs would be lower if done now.

Yagaloff, who proposed the smaller project at the subcommittee meeting and did most of its selling Monday night, was unconcerned about holding a second hearing.

“I think the project can stand on it's own two legs and I think the public will support it,” he said.

As McCann, Cindy Beaulieu and Bazzano shied away from the idea of holding the hearing, Anwar chastised them.

“I don’t know why we claim to represent the public… please don’t stop the public from speaking,” he said.

A few members of the public – high school athletes – attended Monday’s meeting to support the project.

Galligan said he would gather more information on the plan for the council’s review.