PZC Approves Field Expansion at Fisher Meadows

While no funding source has officially been designated at this time to expand , the Planning and Zoning Commission approved applications for the project to make it "shovel ready," should any grants become available

The town's proposal calls for the addition of seven multi-purpose fields in the northern section of Fisher Meadows. The configuration of the new fields remains flexible, depending on future needs of the Avon Recreation and Parks Department and local sports teams.The expansion could accommodate up to two additional regulation soccer fields if needed, as Fisher Meadows is predominantly the home of Avon soccer.

In February 2003, Avon town officials gave the farmers who own the land five growing seasons of notice regarding desired purchase of the property for land use, a predetermined condition. With clearance of that hurdle, Director of Recreation and Parks Glenn Marston said he wanted to put all the permitting and approvals in place in order to be ready to go when funding sources could be found.

“This has been on my radar for over 20 years,” he said, “this is putting the final pieces of the puzzle in place.”

The Inland Wetlands Commission approved the project, a requirement by law before the Planning and Zoning Commission could vote on it. Marston said it would be easy to comply with the stated conditions.

Architect Michael Cegan explained though the entire park is in a floodplain, the attributes of the field makes it suitable for recreation.

“Primarily it's flat, the soils are very deep, rich, and well drained. Aside from the flooding issue, it is excellent soil for athletic fields,” he said, as Fisher Meadows, which is close to the Farmington River, flooded during Tropical Storm Irene.

The site plan for expanding Fisher Meadows includes adding 190 parking spaces to accommodate future increased use of the park. The only structure proposed is an additional open air pavilion, identical in design to the current pavilion.

Katie Mercier, engineer with Nathan L. Jacobson, reported to the commission that the project design would not impact flood levels. The design calls for low impact features, such as using a gravel parking lot rather than paving. The lot would be sloped into a rain garden to promote infiltration of the water into the ground. Computer-generated models of the proposed changes showed no change to water levels in comparison to current conditions.

Traffic impact was a source of concern for the commission, which is a factor explored for every major development proposal. Traffic Engineer Scott Hesketh presented the result of traffic counters and estimated the traffic levels with the introduction of the new fields. He concluded that a stop sign would remain the best option, though the use of officers during special events would probably be necessary. He said that scheduling of games would be the best way to address the traffic.

Marston identified two events, the Memorial Day Soccer Tournament, and the Intramural Tournament, that may require the use of police to control traffic.

The commission noted that people often park along Old Farms Road, which is a problem because that means children are sometims boarding vehicles on the roadway instead of in the parking lot. The commission voted to add a condition to the approval requiring enforcement of no parking along the shoulder of the road.

Commission member David Cappello inquired about the usage of the other fields in town should the Fisher Meadows complex be expanded. Marston stated that none of the current fields would be abandoned and that they would all continue to be used and maintained. The maintenance level of the other town fields may drop to practice level, however, rather than for active competitive use.

Though the town has conceptualized the plan for added fields for many years, there is no money officially allocated for the project.