Board of Finance Member Speaks Out on Girls' Little League Field

The following letter was submitted to Fairfield Patch by Robert B. Bellitto Jr., a member of the town's Board of Finance, which last week approved a $350,000 funding request to build a girls' Little League field on town-owned property at 520 Hoyden's Lane. The funding request heads to the Representative Town Meeting June 28 for final action. The RTM meeting that day is at 8 p.m. in the Education Center, 501 Kings Highway East.

As a member of the Board of Finance, and a lifelong Fairfield citizen, I wanted to address the proposed Girls Little League softball field at Hoyden's Lane. I voted in favor of the proposal, after asking a lot of tough questions and considering all the facts.

The need for additional field space was clearly demonstrated by Gerry Lombardo, the head of our Parks and Recreation Department. As a volunteer coach with the Fairfield National Little League, I am painfully aware of how difficult it is to get a field for practice. This is supported by the facts. According to the Park and Rec website, virtually every youth baseball and softball field was booked during after school and weekend hours during the month of June.

In my opinion, the proposal before the Board of Finance was complete, contained necessary infrastructure improvements, limited site impact by incorporating an existing parking lot and tree cover, and allowed for future expansion. I threw every possible alternative I could think of at Mr. Lombardo, and he had a well reasoned response for all of them.

Much of the price tag for this project is for infrastructure such as utilities, driveways and parking, which will not only service the softball field, but also the adjoining golf driving range and any future active or passive recreation space. In addition, the Girls Little League is putting up its own money for fencing, benches, scoreboard, press box and concession stand. During a time when public/private partnerships have come under heavy scrutiny, this is one that can actually work.

Much like our continuing issues with school space, our Town has suffered from a reactionary policy with respect to recreation space. Rather than build new soccer fields when enrollment in that sport increased over the last two decades, the Town instead closed many ball fields and replaced them with soccer fields. Now that enrollment in baseball and softball has increased again, we need those ball fields that were closed. We are now forced to make up for a lack of vision and planning at much greater cost.

It is for this reason that the approval of this project makes sense for our Town now. The need has been clearly demonstrated. Families continue to move to Fairfield to take advantage of our excellent schools and ample recreation opportunities. Our greatest assets have become our greatest challenge.

We need to plan ahead, not merely react. The multitude of recently approved school expansion projects represent the first coordinated attempt to responsibly deal with a population that is growing. A coordinated effort to expand our recreational space is equally prudent. Deferral or cancellation of this project will not significantly lessen the burden on taxpayers today. It may greatly increase the burden on taxpayers tomorrow.

Each capital project that comes before our Town boards must be judged on its own merits. Some projects can wait. Other projects are more immediately needed. I based my decision on the facts, and I stand by that decision. I would encourage every interested citizen to weigh in on this proposal by contacting their RTM representative, or by attending the RTM meeting on June 28th. Whether you support this project or not, get the facts, and let your voice be heard.

Robert Bellitto, Jr.