Residents have long been prohibited from using school property when classes are in session.
Most Westporters know to stay clear of most schools.
But there have been exceptions.
A longstanding agreement has allowed people with plots to use the Westport Community Gardens at the south end of the Long Lots campus — separated from the school by a parking lot — all day, except from 8 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., when students arrive and depart.
The Wakeman fields, north of Bedford Middle School, are a popular spot for dog walkers (and walkers without dogs) all day long.
The Wakeman Fields, adjacent to Bedford Middle School (not shown, on the left), are popular spots all day long.
The PJ Romano track between Saugatuck and Kings Highway Elementary Schools is occasionally used by joggers.
On Wednesday night, the Parks & Recreation Commission voted 5-0 to tighten restrictions.
If the Board of Selectwomen approve, all recreational facilities on all Westport public school properties will be off-limits to anyone who is not a student, staff member or invited guest between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. whenever school is in session.
The PJ Romano track, between Saugatuck Elementary School (bottom left) and Kings Highway Elementary is sometimes used by joggers during school hours.
The policy is an attempt to standardize times for all 8 schools, and eliminate what had been gray or undefined areas around the meaning of “school grounds.”
Enforcement will be done by school security guards and, if necessary, school resource officers.
Access to the Westport Community Garden would be restricted, if the Board of Selectwomen endorse the Parks & Recreation Commission proposal.
Hope it passes. There is no need to be in school property while students are present. Haven’t we learned the lesson from all the tragedies that we need to safeguard our children whatever it takes. Don’t ever think bad doesn’t happen in Westport
lol.. of course it’s going to pass. The body who will pass it is the same body who appoints the parks n rec commission. Parks n rec did not dream up this rule on their own. Not sure anyone is fooled by this turn of events.
For 2 decades the gardeners posed no risk whatsoever to the students.
Nothing has changed there.
Just some tantrum throwing vindictiveness.
But not to worry, it will not deter the community gardens or its members, they will just have less time to enjoy their gardens. But enjoy them they will right next to the school.
And I’m sure the P&Z will continue to watch this school plan and its progress with great interest. As will many of us tax paying residents.
P&Z will no doubt continue to advocate for the gardens to be placed as they instructed, as large as possible, providing the necessary buffer for the neighbors.
Let’s remember it is the neighbors who could delay all of this if they wish to.
And none of us would want that.
We best keep them all very happy and comfortable.
Things have definitely changed. There have been school shootings which we did not have before. Please keep the children and teachers safe . it only takes one crazy person to do something terrible.
Living in a community requires sacrifices for the well being and safety for all. How selfish are we ?
What is the actual categorization of Wakeman? Is it a public town park or is it actually part of BMS? Asking as both a dog owner and a parent with a vested interest in the safety of kids at all schools.
The Wakeman fields aren’t all school property and there is a large community of dog walkers who meet every morning to walk their dogs together. Part of the property is controlled by Parks and Rec. The dog walkers have also become a community, some with kids still in the school system and others with recent graduates, who enjoy the simple pleasure of letting their dogs run around together. It seems that the Westport government is taking away its citizens rights and small pleasures without any input from these citizens. It certainly isn’t a school safety issue as claimed since Bedford doesn’t even start until 8:30 AM and the kids only use a field or two in the warmest of weather. We are usually there anytime from 7:45 until 9 am at the latest. We have never seen anyone from the Parks and Rec committee nor a police official come to Wakeman when the dogs are actually there to see for themselves what goes on and that it is completely harmless to everyone. I don’t understand how the Parks and Recs committee can make a new rule without personally researching it and violating the rights of tax paying citizens.
Our taxes go to the Parks and Rec department and the school system but unless you still have kids in the system, you do not get any benefit from these facilities and won’t be allowed to even walk a dog in this town.
I and my fellow dog owners urge the Board of Selectwomen to actually understand the issue before voting on it and we are happy to discuss some type of rule or understanding that continues to allow us to walk our dogs without any impact on the school children at Bedford (where many of our kids have attended or do presently attend)
The parks and rec commission are appointed by the first selectwoman.
She chooses, approves of and appoints them.
As such they do what they are told.
Though she likes to pretend she doesn’t know what is going on. That would not be true.
As a punishment to the gardeners, there was a hint at this about 6 months ago, “the axe wielding community gardeners”,
Hmmmm.. wondered how long it would take for a non elected commission appointed by the selectwoman to create a new rule. One they of course ( no surprise) unanimously voted yes for.
Not sure how they are even allowed to do so, but you may be very sure it was a demand by the selectwoman.
If I were a gardener it would not deter me in the slightest.
Other than who I might vote for in the next town elections.
I suggest that the gardeners remain focused on their plots, and of course following the new rule( created out of vindictiveness) and albeit, with some time constraints, they will still be able to enjoy and care for their plots. And of course more importantly their plots create a necessary buffer between the neighbors and loud fields. Something the p&Z were most concerned with…
It might be time to start creating some more community gardens in town.
They do have a large waiting list.
A community garden fosters great community spirit and it would be lovely to see some additional ones pop up.
Longshore could afford to have a huge one.
Seriously? We can’t jog around a track or walk on school grounds once our kids have graduated?? Are there no real issues to fix?
Laura. Many apologies. You can blame the Community Gardeners (and dog walkers). Gardeners have been gardening without incident for 20 years next to Long Lots Elementary. Our garden is fenced and locked. We have handpasses and every member is background-checked by the town. However because we use a few parking spaces at Long Lots, we are deemed a security risk (note: in addition to an occasional gardener, there frequently are contractors in white work vans lunching in the parking lot).
We made noise about the town and schools’ plan to bulldoze our gardens for high-school-level athletic fields at Long Lots. That p*#sed off town and school officials, and the sweet Moms and Dads of the little tykes.
This is the get: to p*#s off gardeners. But to make it seem like consistent policy, now dog walkers, joggers, tennis players, and others who use non-school property near schools, are paying the price.
Aldo, there was the dog at Bedford who allegedly bit a teacher. This is the only “incident” noted on or near school property that also is impetus for the new policy. 🧐
We want security for children, of course. Of course.
At least one exemption was granted for a non-school activity that abuts a school — Wakeman Town Farm (police chief says they have independent parking … but patrons are prohibited from using it and usually park at the Bedford instead).
So, no you can’t jog at Bedford fields during the school day. But there is “nothing the town can do” about the loading docs at Crate and Barrel that abut an elementary school, nor the shopping centers or public parks that abut other schools.
It’s odd logic but who would oppose police-approved assertions of “keeping kids safe?” Not me even though it’s bunk to include the gardens in the sweep.
It all reminds me of the uproar against fisherman some years ago who were inadvertently netting dolphins in their tuna catch. An outcry ensued and laws were passed for dolphin-less tuna fishing. The poor tuna—- dolphins just had better PR.
Is there a way to section or fence off the schools? That would be the best practice in terms of security, having a physical fence. If the doors of the school are secure, the grounds of the school are secure, then allow access to other areas abutting the school, if they are sectioned off.
Unfortunately we live at a time of “stranger danger”
I would fool much more comfortable to know on
Teachers and students should use these areas during school time
Why do we need to protect kids during the school day by banning joggers and dog walkers, but after school and on weekends when those same kids are at soccer/football/baseball/lacrosse practice on the same fields, the joggers and dog walkers are no longer a security threat.
because any idiotic sick maniac can walk a dog and jog around with a gun. How selfish can a so called decent community be ?
Because you could say the same about Trader Joe’s and town hall ! The farmers market !
Church or synagogue.
This is in total gar-bagge !
Get a grip folks !
the conservative synagogue has 2 armed guards. I’m not sure about any other facility. I suggest that you ask the parents of Newtown schools and Parkland schools if they think security is essential. Why not ask the local police? I’m not a security expert but I know history. it only takes 1
trader Joe had a shooter in California.
We could, im not suggesting, put up barbed wire around the schools. There is a French philosopher, Michel Foucault, who came up with the concept of the panopticon to be used, not just for keeping a watchful eye on prisoners but for children as well. In our case open fields could provide that measure of protection and observation without having the children feel as if they are in jail.
This is a moronic and spiteful attack on the Gardeners by the useless First Selectwoman and her lackeys. (As an aside, I wish Dan would stop gifting the FS her photo ops with organizations with which she has no involvement. It enables her uselessness.)
If there is some threat (20 years of history suggests otherwise) why don’t we block off Post Road, in front of Kings Highway School, while school is in session? Isn’t that a threat to the children?
It’s frustrating that Foti seems to specialize in telling us what he can’t do, rather than working to figure out solutions to serve the community, but I guess he has a special relationship with the First Selectwoman, so he serves at her leisure. Isn’t that special. Time for another junket!
Chris ! Absolutely.
Spiteful vindictive, and nasty tantrum throwing !
Like all other policies in the last 2 years.
It is incredible. A pity the only folks who agree with all this crap are the appointed by same .. commissions. ,
I’ll hand out the box of tissues with “we tried to tell you” printed on them for all the folks who just missed it.
We told you so !
This is INSANITY
A new low in our town !
I like to run at the Staples track in the dark months at around 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. A 30 minute cushion added to the scheduled end of school day seems unwarranted. As to the Gardens, much can be said. When the new Long Lots is completed, it will be further north of the present school and the Gardens and there will be a ballfield between the parking area and the gardens. Maybe the Gardens could have their own parking spaces. Of course, maybe the Gardens will not even be reconstructed after they are destroyed to allow the site to be used for staging. I am concerned with this prohibition.
Don Bergmann
It is important to repeat that Parks and Rec do a BACKGROUND CHECK on each member of the Westport Community Garden. before issuing a pass that they must carry.
Also, the gardeners are not strangers who wander around the school grounds. Everybody has a Westport connection, either as a town resident or employee, and every member completes an information form every year. Access to the garden plots is through locked gates in a tall fence. It’s all quite controlled. There is no valid reason to close access to the Garden during school hours.
Joyce you are 100% correct,
Unless of course someone is just determined to eventually make it look like there is simply no sense in not moving the gardens.
The goal from the offset” I guess they heard”
Please..
if I were the gardeners and I was left access for 1 hour a day I’d still keep my plot !
If only because the intent of this BS, is to bully them into submission.
Build a 3 story school, leave the gardens alone. Bullys
Since the regulations double down on already existing thoughtful regulations and since they appear to be a spiteful payback to an extraordinarily poorly handled situation. I urge the Board and f Selectmen to take a breath and cool down before throwing gas on this one of many smouldering fires.
“[A]ll Westport public school properties will be off-limits to anyone who is not a student, staff member or invited guest between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. whenever school is in session.” So. I guess I’m done going to watch my son play baseball for Staples. This policy appears to preclude parent attendance. Pity. I’ve enjoyed that.
There is now a petition to bring this matter to the full RTM. I will be at the Westport Community Garden on Sunday, 4/7 before 11:30 am and after 2 p.m. gathering signatures. Town Charter Section C5-1G gives the RTM the power to review regulations concerning recreation facilities, and Town Charter Section C4-6 allows 20 citizens to petition the RTM to consider the item. Therefore this is clearly an item within the purview of the RTM, and we are seeking specific RTM action to amend the regulation.
Further, the Board of Selectwomen has placed this item on their agenda for April 10. However, the town charter requires a five-day published notice of the hearing, not including the day it was voted on by P&R Commission nor the day of the BOS meeting. Therefore I believe sufficient public notice has not been given for this hearing.
Please plan to attend the BOS on April 10 to voice your concerns about this new regulation, which has not yet gotten a full review by town residents.
It’s time to start t about the safety of the children and teachers. We live in a very uncertain world. we need to keep them safe and do everything possible in our power to acco this. Let’s stop being selfish and think of tbe children first. once something, it’s too late. Let’s get tog and do this.
Mrs. Ryan
I believe the safety of children is paramount. This new regulation is a red herring however, and the impetus for it is punitive and in retribution. There have been no incidents to point to any increased threats to the safety of children in school neighborhoods, save for the dog that allegedly snapped at a teacher.
More importantly, If you believe the numerous parents of said children of late (and I do), more harm has been done to them within the school walls than out in the environs.
And further, I might ask, who is speaking for the wellbeing of seniors, the elderly, the unfortunate, and many others (including parents who do not currently have school age children) … who make up the silent majority? They do not deserve the second class status that you ascribe to them. I suggest they “activate” also to preserve their rights by raiding their voices.
You never know when something so horrendous as a school shooting is going to happen which is tbe worst possible scenario. I am a mother and grandmother and still have grandchildren in a school system. They come first before the gardens.
‘Guessing that puts an end to the district-wide school field trips to Wakeman Town Farm…and that’s really too bad. There are age-appropriate programs for K through High School that provide priceless lessons for the kids. Sorry that this would be lumped in with the safety concerns….