Tag Archives: Long Lots Elementary School

Roundup: Long Lots Next Steps, Drug Take Back Day, Unitarian Reflections …

Posted on October 25, 2023 | 14 comments

The Long Lots Elementary School project took one small step forward last night.

The Board of Finance discussed the project, in the first of 3 expected meetings.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker laid out the rest of the timetable, at Town Hall.

The Parks & Recreation Commission meets Monday (October 30, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium; click here for livestream), and will follow up with at least one more meeting.

The Planning & Zoning Commission will then hear an 8-24 (land use) application — most likely, not before December.

Then, a request for design specs will go to the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting, beginning with relevant committees.

Despite being behind schedule, Tooker still aims for for construction to begin a year from now, in the fall of 2024.

The current plan for a new building at Long Lots Elementary School must be heard — and approved — by several town bodies.

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Got drugs?

This Saturday (October 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aspetuck Health District, 180 Bayberry Lane), the Westport Police Department partners with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, for the 25th annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Residents are asked to look in medicine cabinets and drawers for medications that are no longer needed, or out of date. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

Take Back Day has removed more than 8,300 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.

Collection sites cannot accept illicit drugs, needles or sharps; only pills or patches.

Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container, with caps tightly sealed.

Vape pens with removable batteries can be disposed of at the take-back site. Vape pens without removable batteries are not accepted.

A year-round collection bin is available in the lobby of Westport police headquarters. Prescription drugs can be disposed of any time there. Click here for more information.

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As tensions mount internationally, domestically and locally, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation hopes residents can come together.

“All of us are spiritual people, no matter our personal faith traditions or religious affiliations,” the UU says. “We can find solace in community … in peace, in meditation, and in reflection.”

This Saturday (October 28, 4 to 5 p.m., the sanctuary, 10 Lyons Plains Road), Rev. Alan Tayler and others will lead attendees through a meditative experience.

“It will be a time to just be, in quiet, with one another, with a very few readings and with cellist Gunnar Sahlin offering some lovely cello pieces,” the UU adds.

All are welcome. Questions? Call 203-227-7205, ext. 10, or email beth@uuwestport.org; www.uuwestport.org.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation sanctuary.

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For over 100 years, the 1917 home at 44 Compo Mill Cove — one of the most distinctive, and most photographed homes i Westport — has weathered hurricanes and nor’easters.

It’s seen the Old Mill neighborhood change from summer shacks to multi-million-dollar properties.

Several experts thought it was too fragile to work with. But new owners Lance and Anne Lonergan wanted to preserve it.

With the help of Michael Greenberg & Associates, and a firm in Pennsylvania, they’re lifting it, renovating it, and adding on some modern features — while retaining its bones and beauty.

Here’s to another century, as the “Queen of Compo Cove.”

(Hat tip and photo/Robin Tauck)

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Speaking of saving a town icon:

Yesterday’s Roundup noted that the 2 weeping cherry blossom trees in front of Sakura have been saved from destruction.

The effort — involving the state Department of Transportation, property owner, restaurant owner, Earthplace and Eversource.

Town officials, including Representative Town Meeting members, were key parts of the negotiations.

Representative Town Meeting members in front of the Sakura trees (from left): Don O’Day, Claudia Shaum, Andrew Colabella, Matthew Mandell, Chris Tait, Jay Keenan, Seth Braunstein.

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A reader writes:

“While walking on Burying Hill beach twice last weekend, I saw huge numbers of golf balls in the water. They come from golfers practicing their chipping, into the Sound.

“From an environmental point of view, I imagine these break down eventually and pose any number of hazards. In the meantime, it is unsightly litter.

“I took over 100 golf balls out of the water. The current pulls them out and around Frost Point back towards Burying Hill Beach. The density is always thickest toward Southport.

“I know there are many many greater issues in our town, country and world, but this seems like an easy one to fix. Perhaps the person watching the sunset and ceaselessly chipping balls from their yard into the water is unaware of potential issues with the practice, or perhaps they just don’t care.

“But I do.”

Golf balls taken from Burying Hill Beach.

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This sign — spotted on Post Road West, near what may be the worst 4-way intersection in town — sums up many residents’ feelings about the ongoing I-95 Saugatuck Avenue bridge rehabilitation project:

(Photo/Stephanie Bass)

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Here’s something more than trivial:

VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 has introduced a weekly Trivia Night.

Doors open every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Games start at 6.

Trivia Night also includes drinks, food and raffles. For more information, call 203-227-6796.

Come for the food, drinks, raffles and camaraderie; stay for the trivia.

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Speaking of the VFW: If you bought tickets to Jon Gailmor’s “First Folk Sunday” appearance November 5 at the VFW, you’re in luck. As noted last weekend on “06880,” the 1966 Staples High School graduate is a special performer.

If you did not get tickets, you’re out of luck: The show is sold out.

Keep reading our Roundup, though, for future shows in this very cool monthly series.

Jon Gailmor

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So — still looking for something to do November 5?

The Westport School of Music offers “An Afternoon of Hot Jazz & Cool Classics” (4 p.m., MoCA Westport).

The law firm of Nguyen Lefft sponsors this chamber music concert. They’ll honor all Westport non-profit and public school music educators, and have invited them to attend.

Eleven musicians will present jazz favorites, light French classics, 2 Strauss songs, and piano 4-hands works.

Afterwards, audience members can greet the artists, and enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres, pizza and juice.

For more information, call 203-227 – 4931, or email smiller@wsmusic.org.

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Speaking of MoCA: 2 important events have been added to their calendar.

On November 18 (7 p.m.), 2022 Heida Hermanns Competition laureate Artem Kuznetsov returns, after performing around the world.

November 21 (7 p.m.) brings the Django Festival Allstars. They’ve played top festivals and concert halls across the US, including Newport Jazz, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and 24 years at Birdland in New York.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Artem Kuznetsov

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Longtime Westporter Russell Sherman discussed his varied and interesting career yesterday, at the Westport Rotary Club’s weekly meeting.

The Staples High School graduate started out in television sports broadcasting, then was head of corporate public relations at Bear Stearns when it collapsed in 2008.

He launched his own consulting firm, which was acquired by Prosek Partners.

Sherman also hosts a podcast, “Press Profiles,” where he interviews leading business reporters, anchors and editors.

Russell Sherman (Photo/Ellin Curley)

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Claudia Sherwood Servidio captured today’s gorgeous “Westport … Naturally” image, o a recent late afternoon off Cross Highway.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

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And finally … following up on the Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s “come together” invitation for this Saturday (story above):

(Another day, another jam-packed “06880” Roundup. If you enjoy, learn from or otherwise appreciate this daily feature, please support our work. Click here — and thank you!)

14 Comments

Posted in Environment, Local politics, Police, religion, Restaurants

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[OPINION] Report Shows “Repair And Maintain” As Best Long Lots Option

Posted on October 22, 2023 | 39 comments

Clarence Hayes has lived in Westport for 6 years. A senior vice president in global technology at Bank of America, he manages its user-facing data networks, and associated $225 million budget.

He has crunched the numbers on the Long Lots Elementary School project. Clarence writes:

The Board of Education and Long Lots School Building Committee need to convince the voters of Westport, via a public detailed document, why “Repair and Properly Maintain” is not an option for Long Lots.

Principal and interest on a $100 million new school at today’s AAA muni rates is around $6 million a year, for 30 years. Taxes will go up.

Other town investments will be squeezed by the pressure on the budget. The voters deserve to understand how we came to the original decision.

This section of Long Lots Elementary School — originally the main entrance to the junior high school — was built in 1953.

It is “received wisdom” that repairing and maintaining the current school would be “penny wise, pound foolish” and is not an option. As an incoming RTM member (running unopposed), I am trying to discover the basis of this position.

What I have found: Based on a 2021 building assessment (Colliers), an expectation of increased enrollment, and the mismatch between original Long Lots use as a middle school vs. elementary school needs, the BOE and Board of Finance recommended the evaluation of a new school as an option.

However, the primary reason was the condition of the building (from a June 28, 2022 BOE presentation to the BOF).

Regarding building condition, I read every page  of what I could find: the Colliers Assessment, and the new LLSBC-led MEP and Envelope Assessments.

These reports are the detail about the school condition. Everything else is anecdote or rumor.

The picture they paint is of buildings which are energy inefficient, not all built to the highest construction standards, and not consistently maintained over the years with timely quality repair.

The Colliers Assessment states they have not done invasive inspection, and they pass no judgment on structural issues. They state that fuller assessments should be done.

This wing — the current main entrance — was added in the 1970s.

Those fuller assessments are the MEP and Envelope reports done by LLSBC consultants. The Collier assessment has been superseded.

The new, deeper MEP and Envelope reports include “repair” sections. If you read these, you will find that here is only one serious problem: The pre-1970s buildings have negative pressurization, which is the cause of excess humidity.

This excess humidity contributes to other defects. Remediation requires the installation of a ventilation system, which could be done during the summer, for $4.2 million.

Other than this, everything else is normal maintenance repairs, and not the same scale of expense. Those minor items add up, presumably to several million dollars more, but they were not priced out fully.

The façade report lists 16 items, each of which is relatively insubstantial and the kind of repair you would expect in normal quality maintenance: “fix the broken glass over door 13,”  “clean the stucco outside the music room,” etc.

The roofing report lists 18 repair items, prefaced with the comment “the roofing system is under repair for the next 5 years” so route through the warranty and demand performance. These items are also normal maintenance: “replace loose fasteners,” “wrinkled cap sheets should be replaced (warranty),” etc.

The structural report is shorter: Seal the cracks in the brick masonry, clean the stucco at the music wing.  The report states there are no imminent structural risks.

Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

 

These recommendations come with the preface that the consultants were asked how to keep the building in good condition for “5-10 years,” pending new construction. But the analyses are not limited to a “5-10 years” time frame.

The recommendations look like one major investment (ventilation) and catch-up maintenance, which provide for an indefinite future life for the buildings. They do not state that this work gets you only 5-10 years, but after that the buildings will be irreparable and the town will be faced with massive new expenditures.

The conclusion I come away with from these reports is that repairs in the sub- $10 million one-time range will catch up for the failure to do proper maintenance in the past, and, if timely quality repair is continued going forward, there is no definite date when these buildings have to be replaced.

Much of the discussion appears to mix normal expected maintenance costs associated with HVAC equipment, and other aspects of the buildings. AC units and boilers are 25+ years old and near end of life. That is part of the normal lifecycle, i.e. maintenance, of buildings. It is not a reason to demolish these structures and build new.

Decisions regarding these components will likely require additional investments, as is the case at all the schools. But the cost of quality maintenance and eventual replacement is part of any building operating budget.

Long Lots is clearly energy inefficient. The MEP report says a “net zero” building would use 5 times less energy. But the cost is not quantified. Is this $200,000  or $2 million per year in lower costs?

“Repair and maintain” does not promise a modern “net-zero” building with the latest architectural flourishes. But it may provide a clean, safe and entirely adequate learning environment for many decades, as it has for the past 60 years.

I intend to campaign for “repair and maintain,” making efforts to convince my fellow RTM to vote “no” on a new build, and “yes” for a heightened focus on quality maintenance to extend the life of town assets.

I do not object to higher taxes, and I am happy to change my mind. But the BOF/BOE need to make a convincing case that my interpretation of the engineering reports is wrong.

 

39 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

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[OPINION] RTM Member: Feasibility Study Made Me Favor Long Lots Plan

Posted on October 22, 2023 | 52 comments

Seth Braunstein is a Representative Town Meeting member from District 6, and chair of the RTM Finance Committee.

After 2 visits to the Long Lots Elementary School property, his views on the future of the Westport Community Gardens have changed. He now supports the Long Lots School Building Committee’s recommendation to relocate the gardens.

Seth writes:  

Sometimes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You might like one thing, yet I may favor another. Opportunities for interpretation or differing appreciation exist and can be celebrated. However, we can all agree that the Community Gardens and Preserve are beautiful and valuable town assets.

Feasibility generally isn’t something that is open to the same subjective interpretation.

Last Sunday morning I joined roughly 25 other concerned Westport citizens for a formal tour of the Long Lots School property hosted by a majority of the Long Lots School Building Committee.

The LLSBC began the tour by leading the assembled group from the south end of the property where the beautiful Community Gardens and Preserve are located to the north end of the property across various athletic fields (soccer and baseball) spread across 2 distinct property tiers, then to the west side of the property where wilderness (thankfully no poison ivy was encountered) and catch basins and a stream exist amidst a steeply declining grade as the property terminates back behind Harvest Commons.

Part of the Long Lots Elementary School campus. The Community Gardens (not shown) are south of the school. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

I am convinced that all parties involved in the hotly debated issues surrounding the question of build new vs. renovate come to this difficult decision with only the best of intentions. I am certain that the Board of Education, the LLSBC and first selectwoman are earnest in their desire to come up with the best solution possible for our community. None of these dedicated public servants have any “nefarious intent” and none of them want to have an outcome here that results in something that would fall short of the high standards our town demands. None of these people deserve the ad hominem attacks they have been subjected to.

I am also certain that supporters of the Community Gardens have sound arguments for why their 2 decades of investment in this property leave them hopeful that their interests and the reality of a new school can effectively coexist with the Garden remaining in its existing footprint. In fact, as a concerned member of the community (and an elected RTM member) I was convinced that this mutually beneficial outcome would be highly likely.

Having now had the benefit of a well detailed explanation for the reasoning behind the LLSBC support of the option they are recommending, along with a firsthand view of the property’s limitations, my view of what is feasible has changed. I had visited the Gardens a couple of months ago at the invitation of a member and at the time struggled to see why the two could not co-exist.

Now I understand why. This is a relatively small piece of property that is already crowded. The LLSBC has worked for months and hosted numerous meetings focused on what can be done to fit all of the existing puzzle pieces together so that all of the various constituencies represented on this property can walk away happy. This has been a huge task (did I mention they are all volunteers?).

The LLSBC has had to consider not just how to build a new school on this cramped property but also, most importantly, how to make sure the children in the existing school can continue to receive the best education possible while in the middle of a construction zone for the roughly two years the project will take to complete.

The committee has considered everything from how buses will enter the property, how parents who prefer to drop their students off will approach the building, where teachers and others working in the school will park, how all of the athletic and outdoor leisure time activities can continue and how to do all of this while minimizing the inevitable disruption that a project of this scale will pose to the neighborhood.

They have also been clear in their desire to consider Westport’s intent to increase sustainability which would require a series of geothermal wells to also occupy the site in the future to increase the energy efficiency of the new building.

Parking and bus loops are considerations in designing a new school. 

Under the best of circumstances (and this property does not meet that standard due space limitations, as well as grade and drainage concerns) a project of this magnitude requires significant staging areas. Take a moment to think about things like building materials (steel, brick, windows, etc.), heavy equipment (tractors, backhoes, forklifts), workspaces (construction trailers, bathrooms), large quantities of soil and other materials (to help correct grades and support foundations), not to mention parking for the sizable construction crew. When considering the requisite staging areas, the difficult job of putting this complicated puzzle together becomes untenable.

No one wants to displace the Community Gardens. No one has made a decision to sacrifice this wonderful town resource, but when considering where the flexibility in planning this project falls it is obvious that the school (a $100 million+ investment that will further help burnish our well-regarded school district) must take the highest priority.

Some have chosen to frame this unfortunate circumstance as the Gardens vs. the school or the Gardens vs. town leadership or the BOE. That simply does not reflect the reality of the situation. This really becomes a question of what is actually feasible on this property.

I choose to look at this as an optimization opportunity. Rather than trying to overcome the inherent limits associated with this crowded property, a better solution exists. In fact, it is a solution that has already been brought forth by the LLSBC itself. The Community Gardens could be moved to a portion of the Baron’s South property. While this will undoubtedly upset the supporters of the Community Gardens (and they have earned the right to be upset given the two decades of work they have invested in the current location) it might actually offer a better outcome long term for the Gardens and for the Town.

I have been a long-term supporter of preserving the rare open space left in Westport (check the voting record – I was adamantly opposed to a deal to develop Baron’s South for housing or for active uses), but placing the Community Gardens on a portion of the property could accomplish a number of desirable outcomes.

First, it would provide an environmentally positive usage of the land that would be consistent with the passive usage spirit of the current zoning (while drawing many more people to this vastly underutilized town jewel).

Second, it would actually provide the Gardens with a bigger space than is currently being utilized. I’d also add that the supporters of the Gardens have cited the number of seniors that have enjoyed the Gardens and moving the location to a spot in Baron’s South that would place them just a few steps from the Senior Center seems like a beneficial outcome. It is difficult for me to see how this wouldn’t be a classic win/win scenario.

The proposed site of the Community Gardens, at the Senior Center. (Photo/Morley Boyd)

Ultimately, the RTM will be presented with an appropriation request for this building project and the full range of issues associated with this property will be debated. From where I stand, legitimate questions exist around the status of the baseball field. The mandate for the LLSBC was to retain all existing school features and a baseball field is one of those features so it should be included in the new plans. However, any discussion of turf or lights or a vast increase in the scale and scope of a new field should be scrutinized.

I’d also add in closing that as an RTM member and chair of the RTM’s Finance Committee I would vote to have the town provide funding for the transition of the Gardens’ location (there may be a chance to maintain the Preserve in its current location). The Gardens are unquestionably one of Westport’s jewels and moving them to a spot where they can continue to grow and blossom, rather than exist in some sort of limbo amidst at least two years of construction, seems like a smart way forward.

52 Comments

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[OPINION] Enrollment, Redistricting Should Be Part Of Long Lots Decision

Posted on October 20, 2023 | 9 comments

Much has already been written about the proposal for a new Long Lots Elementary School.

Discussion has centered largely on the decision to place a new school on the current baseball field, and build a new diamond on the site of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.

Less attention has been paid to another factor: the proposed size of the school, based on enrollment and possible redistricting.

Edie and Sam Anderson have live on Hyde Lane, next to Long Lots, since 1983. They sent this letter to 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker: 

As you consider the proposal made by the Long Lots School Building Committee, please keep in mind the many stakeholders in this decision including the students, neighboring property owners, homes affected by Muddy Brook flooding, Parks &Recreation programs, and the Community Garden.

This is a $100,000,000 generational decision that deserves more careful study, or at least fine tuning.

The LLSBC performed yeoman’s service, carefully studying a wide range of options for the location of the new vs renovated school, resulting in the proposed “Option C.”

The Long Lots School Building Committee recommended “Option C” for a new structure. 

This was based upon consideration of many stakeholders and an effort to meet the criteria laid out in the Educational Specs it was given by the Board of Education. Given this direction, the LLSBC did a good job.

However, the ed specs which are the foundation of the planning has troubling flaws.  Now that the preliminary study is complete, it is time to get the details correct.

The Board of Ed acknowledges the need to redistrict and utilize excess capacity in other schools, yet this was not reflected in the Ed Specs, which call for a 33% increase in enrollment far in excess of other Westport elementary schools and comparable surrounding towns.

At the Board of Ed meeting on January 23, 2023 (prior to the issuance of the ed specs), the imbalance between elementary and middle school populations was noted, and the need to redistrict was discussed.

The board indicated that 100+ students could be moved from Long Lots to other elementary schools, which have excess capacity. At this meeting the superintendent indicated that an elementary school should not exceed 600.  Despite this, the ed specs call for 687 elementary students and 98 pre-school students.

The current LL enrollment is 588. All the other Westport elementary schools range from 430 to 479 students.  In addition, post-COVID, Westport’s elementary school population has declined by 50 students. Total enrollment for all Westport schools and the entire state is also down.

This is relevant because reducing the base population of LL by 100+ via redistricting would result in enrollment of 488 (similar to other Westport elementary schools).

This would reduce the size and the cost of the new building, and would improve the quality of the environment for young children to be consistent with other Westport schools.

A quick survey of surrounding school districts shows enrollment around 450 students. Building a “right” sized elementary school would significantly reduce the traffic and improve the quality of life for all stakeholder—students and neighbors.

The current Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Adding Stepping Stones to an already very large elementary school simply exacerbates the situation.

The Long Lots ed specs call for 687 elementary students, plus 96 Stepping Stones pre-school children, totaling an enrollment of 783. This is a 33% increase in students (not including the increase in teachers and support staff.) The question here is: How big is too big?

This plan is inconsistent with the enrollment of all other Westport elementary schools, as well as elementary schools in neighboring towns.

This significant increase in enrollment would interfere with the residential nature of the neighborhood, and result in more traffic and noise in an already very busy location.

The Long Lots campus is within a residential area, AA zoned. A 33% increase in traffic and noise will be significant, and disrupt the peaceful enjoyment of our neighborhood. I should also note that the Long Lots neighborhood hosts thousands of children each year, who use the fields as well as 100+ Community Gardeners.

The most favorable option for all stakeholders is concept B. It meets the ed specs, maintains the current buffers from neighbors and Muddy Brook, and preserves the fields, parking and Community Gardens.

The selection of Concept C for a new school is the recommendation made by the LLSBC to minimize the damage to as many stakeholders as possible.  However, the committee acknowledged that current building is ideally located in the center of the campus. This location provides the best possible buffer from the neighbors, while hosting 2 soccer fields, a multi-purpose field and the community garden. Further, the Long Lots campus is in an environmentally sensitive area with wetlands on and near the campus as well as nearby Muddy Brook.

Muddy Brook, after a recent rain. (Photo/Peter Swift)

Concept B vs concept C.  Renovating requires managing the project and student population while the school is in session.  Westport has done this successfully many times before.

It appears that the biggest objection to the renovation options is the inconvenience/difficultly of working around an operating school. This is not in-surmountable. It has been accomplished successfully many times in Westport,  Coleytown Middle School and Staples High being the most recent examples.

Earlier renovations (1990s) to Long Lots and Kings Highway were also managed successfully. (Our daughter graduated from Staples in 2006, and experienced all of the above renovations).

Cost and time vs. long-term benefit of a school that remains in the center of the campus is clear. Concept B would maintain the character of the neighborhood, and provide students with a new “neighborhood” elementary school which they deserve.

The prospect of 29 months vs. 18 months for this project is daunting for the Long Lots’ neighborhood. However, the 50-year benefits of a well-sited school that respects the quality of the neighborhood by maintaining the status quo seems like a good trade for a few extra months of construction disruption.

Redistricting and keeping the school at the center of the campus maintains the status quo for all stakeholders, while providing the Long Lots school community with a beautiful new facility which they will enjoy for 50+ years. Surely it is worth the time to take a harder look at creating the best school for all the stakeholders in the long term. Ultimately, this must be our goal.

Next steps:

  1. Develop the redistricting plan and revise the ed specs accordingly.
  2. Consider other options for Stepping Stones within the district.
  3. Thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of moving the school
  4. The intersection of Hyde Lane and Long Lots Road has already been identified a problem — evaluate the impact of 33% more school related traffic.

At this point, we ask that the ed specs be revised, and serious consideration be given to “right” sizing this school to be optimal for the students and surrounding neighborhood.

It’s time to think outside the box and get the best plan on the table. For example, Weston, Darien and Greenwich have incorporated their pre-school classes within several elementary schools.

Certainly, utilizing excess capacity in existing schools and balancing the student population via redistricting could be accomplished.

We hope that we have outlined some of the many questions that should be directly and openly addressed before proceeding with design plans. Again, this is a $100 million generational decision that we need to get right.

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[OPINION] Community Gardeners “Dismayed By March To Eliminate Assets”

Posted on October 19, 2023 | 77 comments

The Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve team write:

Dear Town of Westport elected officials and residents:

Tonight (Thursday, October 19, Town Hall Room 201), we expect the Long Lots School Building Committee to announce the decision of First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, with respect to the future of the Long Lots Elementary School building project.

We know that her decision supports the LLSBC’s option to build a new school while simultaneously eliminating the 20-year-old Westport Community Gardens, and at least part of the newly created Long Lots Preserve.

This does not have to happen. A much-needed new school can be built without destroying the gardens and preserve.

Westport Community Gardens. They’re surrounded on 3 sides by the Long Lots Preserve.

The Westport Community Gardens have been, and continue to be, a nationally recognized, award-winning first-in-class standard of community building, environmental stewardship and unlimited educational opportunity.

The Long Lots Preserve is a volunteer-built model of suburban open space environmental rehabilitation. We believe that any other town in America would celebrate, promote and protect what we have created there.

The Board of Education specifications for a new Long Lots school have nothing to do with putting a ballfield over the Westport Community Gardens. The proposed ballfield is not for the educational and recreational needs of the students at Long Lots Elementary School. From what little we have been told, this appears to be an effort by the Parks & Recreation Department to replace the Garden with a new ballfield under the guise of a new school build.

We continue to be dismayed by the town’s march towards eliminating these 2 town assets when there are options to save them.

There are 120 plots in the Westport Community Gardens. Gardeners range in age from elementary school to 90s.

The LLSBC’s recommendation to put a large ballfield with dugouts and a scoreboard, and perhaps artificial turf and lights, flies in the face of the chair of the LLSBC’s statement that what is displaced needs to be replaced.

This decision by First Selectwoman Tooker breaks up a 20-year-old community of over 300 Westport friends and neighbors, hurts our seniors and devastates the environment.

Our seniors love this place. There are many of us, and this is one of the best passive recreational opportunities the town offers.

In a world that seems to be falling apart at the seams environmentally, Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve are teeming with life.

Hundreds of trees and shrubs and wildflowers have been planted, at no cost to the town. The American chestnut tree has been reestablished. Dozens of resident and migratory birds use this because of the habitat and great food sources provided there. Thousands upon thousands of native bees and honeybees gather nectar, pollen and live on site.

Night hawks, swallows and bats fly above the gardens at dusk because the place is teaming with insects, their critical food source. Red squirrel, grey squirrel, garter snake, ground hog, fox, toad, all inhabit this space. The gardens and preserve an ecological treasure. This administration is looking to cover it with a ballfield.

Wildlife abounds in and around the Community Gardens. (Photo collage/Lou Weinberg)

Meanwhile, in the same neighborhood as the gardens and the preserve, there is rampant development, trees are being cut down and more residential units are being built. These new residents are going to be looking for outdoor planting space. We provide that.

The new proposed school is being built over a small, underutilized baseball field and a soccer field; not the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. We have over 20 fields in town, and 1 community gardens.

Athletics and field use is critical, and this administration should find equitable resources elsewhere in town rather than placing them on this environmental community gem. With some creativity, the ballfields lost during construction can be placed back on the property when the old school is torn down.

This administration’s decision also hurts the neighbors who did not sign up for a ballfield immediately adjacent to their homes that will bring noise, flooding and most likely, lights.

The road to this decision occurred without ever consulting the gardeners, the preserve team, or the neighbors.

Evening at the Community Gardens. (Photo/Lou Weinberg)

The road to this decision included dangling an option to keep the gardens in place, destroying the gardens and starting them over again on another space near Long Lots School, and then, at the last minute, eliminating the gardens and restarting them at Baron’s South because the gardens will be “destroyed anyway” during construction. We were notified of the latter decision on Monday.

Thus far we have yet to see a peer review of the decisions that have been made by a few people on this approximately $100 million expenditure, the single largest capital project in Westport’s history.

We believe that scenarios are out there that can be attained where everyone wins. Unfortunately, there has been no institutional will on the part of the Tooker administration to get that done.

We should not allow a small group of politically appointed people to make decisions that affect so many of us. Doing business this way breeds distrust, dismay, ill will, and ultimately disengagement.

Where there is a will, there is a way. We firmly believe that including more people in this discussion can, and should get everybody a win.  These discussions should have happened already. Why didn’t they?

Jennifer Tooker: Be the hero.

Thank you.

77 Comments

Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics

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Why Not Long Lots Plan “C-Alt?” Building Committee Members Explain.

Posted on October 9, 2023 | 47 comments

Last week, the Long Lots School Building Committee voted unanimously in favor of “Concept C.” The plan — one of 6 proposed for the elementary school project — includes construction of a new building on the site of the current baseball field.

A new diamond, in turn, would be developed where the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve are now located. A new garden would be built behind the site of the current school.

Long Lots Elementary School Plan C. Click on or hover over to enlarge.

Gardeners and their supporters say it is impossible to reconstruct the 20 years of work and growth — not to mention the soil itself — that’s been put into the 120-plot garden.

Why, they wonder, did Building Committee members — many of whom spoke fondly of the gardens — not consider “Concept C-Alt”? That option would build the new school in the same place as C. However, the garden would remain (with a new soccer field next to it).

Under “C-Alt,” the baseball field could be built behind the present school. The diamond could also be moved to a different location elsewhere in town, if one could be found.

Long Lots Elementary School Plan C-Alt. Click on or hover over to enlarge.

“06880” asked all 7 LLSBC members why they favored “C” over “C-Alt.”

Two responded. They said:

Liz Heyer: “As the Board of Education representative on the committee, I believe that option ‘C’ meets both the requirements and spirit of the educational specifications and will deliver an exceptional new elementary school, while balancing the impacts of all other considerations on the property.

“The challenge with ‘C-Alt’ is the incremental project cost, and the risks associated with placing the field in an area with extreme variations in topography and existing drainage.

“I love and value the Community Gardens. However, as a Building Committee member responsible to Westport taxpayers, I can’t presume and recommend that taxpayers should incur an additional $2.3 million on an already costly project, especially given the many capital projects on the horizon.

“Ultimately, the town governing bodies are responsible for deciding what is in the best interest of the town. And as stated at the meeting, the feasibility option is a work in progress, not a final design plan for construction. Aspects of the project can and may need to change in the design stage.

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Don O’Day: “Concept C keeps every field and the Gardens, but in a rebuilt form. I am not insensitive or unaware of the impact of a do-over for the Community Gardens after 18 years of work. The Gardens are truly impressive, and a rebuild does mean destruction. I get that, and I’m sorry for it.

“Concept C-Alt does show the Gardens in the same place, with a multi-purpose field in the area behind the old school. This cost to build such a field is approximately $2.5 million, and its success is not certain given the topography of the area. It is easier to build a new Garden in that area, as the need for total space and for the land to be almost entirely level is less than that for a field.

“Importantly, all fields and the Garden will be closed for 2 years and certainly subject to damage. That concept doesn’t seem to be accepted but it is the result of building a new school on a relatively small footprint while maintaining the existing school for 600 children and staff.

“It is an objective decision for the greater good, in my opinion. So, that’s why I chose C over C-Alt.”

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(Click here for the full feasibility study.) 

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Posted in Education, Local politics

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Committee Recommends New Long Lots School; Gardens Would Move

Posted on October 6, 2023 | 56 comments

It’s Plan C.

A new Long Lots Elementary School would be built on the baseball diamond adjacent to the current school. A new field would replace the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, now on the southern edge of the property.

The Long Lots School Building Committee voted unanimously last night in favor of that concept.

Plan C, recommended last night. Click on or hover over to enlarge.

The decision in the Town Hall auditorium was the culmination of nearly two dozen meetings, and a year of studies.

It also followed 3 months of passionate pleas by residents to save the 20-year-old garden. Over 100 gardeners were joined by scores of others, citing environmental, educational, health and other benefits of the plots.

Last night’s vote was the end of the first phase of the Long Lots project, and the beginning of the next. The LLSBC will forward its recommendation to First Selectwoman Jen Tooker. If she accepts it, it then proceeds through various town bodies, including the Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning Commission, Representative Town Meeting — and of course the Board of Education.

The public will have “many, many, many opportunities to voice support or opposition, to bodies that may or may not approve it,” said Building Committee member Don O’Day.

LLSBC chair Jay Keenan noted that the building and parking lot will change shape, as the process continues.

Long Lots School Building Committee last night, at Town Hall. Chair Jay Keenan is 5th from left. (Photos/Dan Woog)

The meeting began with a reiteration of last week’s presentation by Newfield Construction. It included three “concepts”: renovate the existing 70-year-old school; renovate with additions, or build a new structure, with cost and timetable projections for each. (Click here for the full feasibility study.) 

Plan C — an entirely new building — is approximately 126,000 square feet, with a construction timetable of 18 to 26 months. The estimated cost is $92.1 million.

Before the vote, a dozen residents spoke. Their questions and comments ranged from the possibility of sending Long Lots children elsewhere to enable renovation (“not possible” for a variety of reasons, committee members said), to issues with wetlands and traffic, and concerns about artificial turf fields.

Joe Vallone addresses the Building Committee.

Architect Joe Vallone repeated his idea — first raised at last week’s meeting — of a 3-story, energy-efficient building. Committee members responded that it would not work due to educational specifications for young children.

“How many people think the gardens should be demolished?” Vallone asked. No one answered.

“How many think the gardens should be saved?” he continued. There was strong applause, from the half-filled auditorium.

Keenan then called for a discussion of the concepts. O’Day said he supported C. “It’s the best use of the site. It reduces the duration of construction. I understand it means rebuilding the gardens.”

But, he added, the gardens would need to be shut down anyway, as the entire Long Lots property would become a construction zone.

Other committee members called C “the best approach with the best layout,” the “best one for traffic, safety and education,” and the best for neighbors.

Several said that they had originally favored renovating the current school. They changed their minds based on cost ($107.5 million), time frame (36 months), and disruption to students during construction.

With little more to say, Keenan called for a vote.

Every hand was raised.

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Posted in Categories, Education, Environment, Local politics

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Roundup: Slice Is On, Dogs Are Out, Bitcoin Is Back …

Posted on September 30, 2023 | 1 comment

Forget yesterday’s weather. And this morning’s.

Today’s Slice of Saugatuck is on! The weather prediction is for clearing this afternoon:

Come out from indoors! Enjoy the rest of the day in Saugatuck. There’s food, fun, kids’ activities, and 7 bands.

It’s starts at 2 p.m., and runs until 5. Click here for more information.

 

Members of Staples’ Service League of Boys (SLOBs) braved the rain to help set up for the Slice of Saugatuck.

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Tomorrow is October 1. Which means that from Sunday through March 31:

  • Dogs are prohibited from the Compo Beach Pavilion, playground and walkways.
  • All dogs must be leashed in all areas, except the designated off-leash area south of the Pavilion, including South Beach.
  • You are required by law to pick up your dog’s feces.

Violators will be fined $77.

In addition, Westport Parks & Recreation director Jen Fava notes that animals are prohibited from all athletic fields and playgrounds at all times.

As of October 1, dogs are allowed back on Compo Beach. It’s okay, Yogi – you can go in! (Photo/Cathy Malkin)

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Tomorrow’s New York Times Magazine includes a long story on Josh Koskoff. The 3rd-generation lawyer — and longtime Westporter — is profiled for his lawsuits against companies that make assault rifles.

Author Michael Steinberger notes that he grew up a year behind Koskoff here, though they cannot recall ever talking.

Click here for the full, fascinating piece.

Josh Koskoff

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In May, the Westport Police Detective Bureau initiated an investigation after a victim reported they had fallen for an elaborate financial scam.

In January, the victim was convinced to move money from a retirement account into a “Kraken” cryptocurrency account. Between January and March, over $3 million worth of Bitcoin was withdrawn and transferred to cryptocurrency wallets the victim did not control.

Working with the State Police Organized Crime Task Force, Westport detectives tracked the transactions and froze all accounts associated with the scam.

The investigation led to individuals in Pakistan. Although arrests are highly unlikely, Westport detectives recovered $3.2 million, which was returned to the victim.

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Last weekend, Peter Swift wrote an “06880 Opinion” piece about the wetlands, watershed and retention pond near Muddy Brook, by Long Lots Elementary School.

This was the scene yesterday in back of the school, by Bauer Place Extension. The retention pond overflowed, in the heavy rain.

(Photo/Peter Swift)

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The other day, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston hosted legendary University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

On Monday (October 2), their guest will discuss a different kind of “court.”

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong comes to the Westport Library at 7 p.m.

His talk is called

“From Bierbaum to the Sacklers: How Connecticut Attorney General William Tong Looks Out for Connecticut Citizens.” Just this week, Connecticut joined federal regulators and 16 other states in suing Amazon over allegations that the e-commerce giant took advantage of its market dominance to inflate prices, overcharge sellers and suppress competition.

Tong will talk about the collapse of Joseph Bierbaum’s for-profit colleges, Stone Academy and Paier School of Art, as well as the cooperative, multi-state effort to hold the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma accountable for their actions.

The event is open to the public.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

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The next Friday the 13th comes just weeks before Halloween. The best way to celebrate? With Fireside Mystery Theatre at the Westport Library.

At 6:30 p.m., the award-winning audio theater production company premiers “Nightfall on the Nutmeg State.” The 4 pieces were written especially for the Library.

The troupe’s actors will read live on stage, in full costume, each in front of a mic with script in hand.

The live performance will be recorded and later featured on Fireside Mystery Theatre’s podcast feed, which has reached millions of listeners around the world. It bridges the gap between the Golden Age of Radio and the podcast era.

Tickets are $20. The event is a warmup to StoryFest, the annual literary festival. It runs October 20-22, featuring Neil Gaiman, Angie Kim, Gabino Iglesias, Caroline Kepnes, Eric LaRocca, Josh Malerman and many more.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

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The other day, Carolyn Wilkinson noticed something was wrong.

The iconic sign — “Bridge Square, Saugatuck, Conn.”  is gone.

It hung there for over 50 years, Carolyn said.

Hey, it was nice while it lasted.

(Photo/Izzy Sareen for Inklings)

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Each year around this time, Green’s Farms Church members fan out in Westport, Norwalk and Bridgeport, to work on Service Day projects with partners.

Last Sunday they did landscaping, kitchen clean-up, carpentry, community closet organization, and many other tasks, alongside Homes with Hope’s Gillespie Center, Open Doors Shelter, Pivot Ministries, Recovery Community Development and Bridgeport Rescue Mission.

As the photo below shows, there were plenty of them. And they spanned all ages.

Green’s Farms Church Service Day volunteers.

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Mark Shanahan does not take over as Westport Country Playhouse artistic director until next year.

But he’s written, and will direct, “A Sherlock Carol,” Set for December 19-23, it brings characters from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle together in a story of intrigue and suspense (plus holiday cheer).

Click here for tickets, and more information.

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The Longshore Ladies 9 Holers held their annual charity event Thursday, in support of the Westport Woman’s Club food closet.

They collected a trunk full of food items — and collected $1,200 in donations.

That’s quite a day. Hardly “par for the course.”

Longshore ladies golf food for the pantry.

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Boygenius — a hot band on a nationwide tour — played at New Haven’s Westville Music Bowl on Thursday.

The opening act was Palehound. Guitarist/vocalist El Kempner graduated from Staples High School in 2010.

Palehound at Westville Music Bowl. (Photo and hat tip/Larry Perlstein)

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Larry Kastriner died September 14. He was 92, and lived in Westport for 52 years.

He was born in what was Czechoslovakia to Hungarian parents. He emigrated with them in 1940 to Bridgeport, where where he excelled in academics and competed for the high school swim team.

Larry received a full scholarship to Columbia University. He majored in chemical engineering and was a varsity swimmer. He then earned a master’s degree, and pivoted to patent law.

Newly married to Mary Tydor, Larry attended George Washington University Law School evenings while working full time at the US Patent and Trademark Office. He also clerked at the Court of Customs & Patent Appeals.

Following the birth of their daughter, Marianne, he and Mary moved to Yonkers. He began his career at Union Carbide as a patent attorney.  A second daughter, Susan was born. The family moved to Westport in 1965, where they had their third daughter, Cathryn.

Larry enjoyed a long and successful career with Union Carbide (later Praxair) as chief patent counsel.

The family was very involved in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Westport. He served on the Board of Tax Review and was a dedicated member of the YMCA, where he swam and played volleyball. He was a regular attendee at Y’s Men events.

He and Mary spent many evenings walking on the beach or watching the sunset, socializing with friends, and swimming, sailing and playing tennis at Longshore.

While working full time, Larry also taught patent law at the Pace University Law School, as an adjunct professor.  In retirement Larry enjoyed gardening, sculpting, and spending winters at the condo that he and Mary owned in Longboat Key, FL.

Larry and Mary moved to Rockville, Maryland in 2017, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Larry is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, Mary; daughters Marianne (Dean) Schwanke, Susan (Andrew) Lawrence, and Cathy Kastriner, and grandchildren Billy and Matthew Schwanke, Anna Lawrence, and Sophie and Kel Kastriner.

A celebration of life will be held October 14 in Rockville. Larry’s ashes will be interred at the Unitarian Church in Westport in connection with a service in the spring. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to contribute to Larry’s memory may donate to the organization of their choice, or plant a tree in his memory.

Larry Kastriner

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows the force of nature.

It’s Deadman Brook, yesterday:

(Photo/Sal Liccione)

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And finally … today is the birthday of Frankie Lymon.

The soprano lead singer of the Teenagers was born in Washington Heights in 1942. He died 25 years later, of a heroin overdose.

In between, he made this masterpiece:

(Don’t be a fool! Please help support “06880”: your hyper-local blog. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Posted in Beach, Environment, Library, Longshore, Obituaries, Police, religion, Saugatuck, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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[OPINION] Another Long Lots Worry: Water

Posted on September 24, 2023 | 15 comments

Peter J. Swift has lived in Westport since 1997. A master mariner, he spent 25 years at sea — including command of supertankers and liquefied natural gas ships.

He then spent over 25 years in senior shore management in international shipping, and his own maritime consultancy.

Peter is involved in international maritime charities. He is also a member of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, and president of the Harvest Commons Condominium Association. He writes: 

There has been a lot of “water under the bridge” on the Long Lots School rebuild. Here are my observations, after speaking with local residents, civil engineers and architects., and attending many Long Lots School Building Committee meetings.

This is a much broader issue than Long Lots School.

Peter Swift

This serious problem affects all of Westport. 34% of all properties in Westport have a 26% chance of being seriously impacted by flooding.

We love our wet and rocky town. Yet brooks and watersheds, combined with rock, is a fact we have to plan for.

Obviously, some areas need special attention. The area from Long Lots Elementary School to Long Island Sound along Muddy Brook is a very serious one.

Here are a few examples.

When the lower ball field was constructed, despite engineering calculations to the contrary, considerable water ingress into Muddy Brook was experienced by neighbors.

During a 3-year delayed construction on a neighboring road, considerable increase of surface water was noted by neighbors .

Retention basins were added only after construction.

Peter Swift says, “the site is flooded because retention basin’s were put in after construction was delayed for years. Neighbors at lower elevations are left to manage storm water overflow.”

There is still concern whether this works, because it was designed only for a 25-year storm.

Recent drainage and sewer work in areas near Long Lots School revealed underwater streams, with a flow that should not be disturbed.

It’s no surprised this was once good farm land. There was water all around.

Neighbors near Long Lots report that their sump pumps run constantly. Some have 2, both running constantly.

The Long Lots retention pond often overflows the dry stone wall, which marks the boundary of Long Lots Elementary School … 

Because big houses are being constructed on plots that had smaller houses, the 25-year storm standard does not work. It must be improved.

I understand that the standard planning is for each construction to retain on site the estimated water run off for a 25-year storm. There are many instances in town where this has proved to be inadequate.

In turn stressing Muddy Brook as it runs downstream to Long Island Sound. (Photos courtesy of Peter Swift)

Can Westport not consider a higher standard, especially for large taxpayer funded projects?

We all live in Westport, and pay taxes. Even if we do not us our education system, we love and support it.

Why is there such a rush to get spades in the ground within a year ?

The school is 50 years old, and has had many extensions. Let’s get this right.

Can we not allow our professional engineers time to study this before decisions are made?

Not give them a decision to work with. The cart is before the horse.

This would allow more detailed study of the long-term problems of building on ball fields and community gardens which absorb surface water, and include wetlands.

(“06880” covers all aspects of the Long Lots renovation project — and all other local news. By supporting this blog, you support local journalism. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

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Posted in Education, Environment

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Westport Baseball Explains Community Gardens Stance

Posted on September 21, 2023 | 41 comments

In the fervid debate over the Long Lots Elementary School building project, and possible impacts on the Westport Community Gardens and athletic fields, one voice has been silent: the baseball community. Today, they offer their perspective:

Westport Baseball & Softball (WBS) and Staples High School Baseball (SHSB) have observed with much interest the deliberations and decision-making process of the Long Lots Elementary School Building Committee, along with the debate regarding utilization of the Long Lots School property and Community Gardens.

We are the only 2 town-operated baseball programs in Westport. While there have been preferences attributed to “Westport Baseball” and considerable conjecture regarding our views, neither WBS nor SHSB has been formally contacted by the Committee, the Board of Education, Westport government officials or Parks & Recreation, and neither organization has stated publicly any position regarding Long Lots Elementary School and the surrounding land.

Neither WBS nor SHSB has any interest in, or has ever proposed, removing, replacing or otherwise displacing the Gardens from their current location. Today we present our joint position with respect to the baseball field at Long Lots and the Community Gardens, and respond to unfounded criticisms and speculation regarding such position. We welcome the opportunity to be included in the discussion going forward.

Background

WBS is a non-profit organization led by volunteers. It offers baseball and softball programs to Westport children ages 3 through 19. These programs include Little League Baseball, Little League Softball, Travel Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Legion Baseball, Advanced Baseball and our cherished Challenger program.

SHSB fields 3 teams: freshman, junior varsity and varsity. As with Westport’s superior schools and support services, Westport’s diverse offering of sports and recreation programs, including baseball, attracts families to our town.

Repeated references to the surfeit of baseball fields in Westport by participants in the discussions regarding a baseball field at Long Lots are not only not true, but completely miss the point.

Registered Players

The numbers of players for each of the WBS baseball programs varies each season and year, for a variety of reasons. Grade sizes vary; children cease playing sports, switch sports or favor a sport in its primary season, but switch sports in its offseason. Players also leave our programs to play on teams operated by third party, for-profit AAU organizations.

Nevertheless, program leaders need to plan in advance before each season for organizing their programs. This includes budgeting, resource allocation and scheduling of fields. It is a red herring to try to project the number of players across WBS’s various programs. SHSB can more easily estimate the number of players on each of its teams, and it consistently fills rosters for all 3 teams.

Scarcity of Fields

WBS and SHSB programs have distinct needs and serve different baseball and softball audiences, and participants play on different size fields based on age and league.

Westport has baseball fields in 3 sizes. Little League baseball and Travel baseball players up to age 12 play on 46/60-foot fields; Intermediate and Travel baseball players up to age 13 play on 50/70 diamonds, and Travel, Babe Ruth, Legion and Advanced Baseball, and high school players, play on 60/90 fields.

Our Babe Ruth, Legion, Advanced Baseball and SHSB teams are not private “Travel” teams, which have been criticized in this Long Lots debate, and WBS’ Travel baseball programs are town operated and non-profit.

Westport has 4 60/90 fields: Doubleday, Staples, Wakeman and Long Lots. One 60/90 field is intended to be exclusive to baseball: Wakeman D.  However, even that field now hosts lacrosse practices in the outfield during the week.

Doubleday baseball diamond at Kings Highway Elementary School, and nearby PJ Romano Field. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

The Staples field on which our highly regarded high school team plays is also not exclusive to baseball. A temporary fence is erected for a period of time during spring and summer. During the remainder of the year, the outfield is used for soccer and other sports.

Doubleday and Long Lots fields are mixed use — shared by baseball and other sports.

In summary, WBS alone (not including SHSB) has up to 5 teams, with approximately 70-80 players sharing one field (Wakeman) in the fall. This is untenable from a scheduling perspective.

In the spring/summer, WBS has up to 4 teams (approximately 65-75 players) that play on the 3 full size fields. During the high school season the varsity team practices at Staples and the junior varsity practices at Wakeman. The freshman team is relegated to finding their way to Long Lots, presumably on foot.

Regarding the Long Lots diamond: It is carved out on only a fraction of the available space. The rest of the area is lined for soccer.

Long Lots Elementary School and parking lot (bottom), with baseball diamond and adjacent upper and lower soccer fields. (Photo courtesy of Westport GIS Map System)

For most of the day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), this open space is used exclusively by Long Lots students. After 3, it is used for after-school activities. Only from 4:15 to dark (as early as 6:30) does Parks & Recreation determine which town program has access to the field.

In its current form, the Long Lots baseball field is deficient. It suffers from disproportionate dimensions between left and right field, and a steep drop beyond center field to the lower fields. It lacks dugouts and adequate space on the sidelines.

The alternative is asking parents or hiring buses to drive in peak traffic to other towns’ fields that can be as far as 90 minutes away, forgoing the home field and last at-bats advantage.

We need a field for these older players.  Attempting to discredit the use of a grass field because of the lines drawn on it is akin to discrediting a classroom based on the subject being taught in it. Unfortunately, this has occurred in certain of the dialogue regarding a Long Lots baseball field and the Gardens.

Scheduling; Domino Effect

Westport suffers from tremendous field stress, given the paucity of fields available to various sports. Existing fields are carefully rationed by Parks & Recreation before each season, at a meeting with leaders of various sports. This meeting follows months of considered planning by Parks & Recreation leaders on how to share fields. WBS and SHSB collaborate closely with Parks & Recreation and other sports programs regarding scheduling and field utilization.

Soccer at the Long Lots lower fields. (Photo courtesy of Our Town Crier)

In contrast to when many of us grew up, historically seasonal sports are now played year-round. Westport children play baseball and lacrosse in the fall, and soccer players play in the spring as well.

We can debate the pros and cons of this evolution, but it is the reality.

Full-year participation is also fueled by many students’ desire to play sports at the collegiate level, including to gain admission to a better academic school in a highly competitive admissions environment. Athletic scholarships have helped many families carry the financial burden of affording college.

The loss of access to Long Lots fields during the contemplated construction will make a daunting scheduling and field sharing challenge for Parks & Recreation and Westport sports program leaders nearly impossible.

The permanent loss of a full-size field will make it virtually unfeasible for Westport baseball teams to practice and play games at home in the fall (when earlier sunsets and later dismissal from school for younger players already limits availability of fields to a few precious hours), render spring play exceedingly challenging, and leave the SHSB freshman team homeless.

The Long Lots baseball diamond lacks dugouts and seating.

Similarly, a domino effect vis-à-vis other Westport sports will occur. It will for example severely impair the ability of the Westport Soccer Association to operate soccer practices and games in the spring.

A displaced team will in turn displace another team, and so on, ultimately creating acrimony between teams and among Westport sports programs, ending only when the last domino falls on the teams deemed least worthy of standing.

Benefits

We strongly believe that there is a crucial link between youth sports and children’s mental and physical well-being. The social, psychological, emotional and medical benefits to children being outdoors and on a team with friends are well documented.

COVID highlighted the importance of offering children these opportunities. For example, when the pandemic shut down social activities, mental health-related emergency room visits increased by 24% for children ages 5 to 11 and 31% for adolescents ages 12 to 17. Dependence on cell phones and playing video games makes involvement in team sports even more beneficial.

Long Lots Elementary School field day. This is the outfield of the baseball diamond.

The plantings at, and maintenance of, the Gardens are similarly outdoor activities with team building aspects that provide countless benefits to the caretakers of the Gardens and the community.

WBS and SHSB do not seek to disrupt or displace the Gardens. We simply want to retain the availability of a full-size field.

Our town’s population continues to grow, with families driving that growth.  These families are attracted to Westport for its schools, and the diverse offerings inside and outside of the school building.

This population applies pressure on schools to accommodate larger populations.  Outdoor space available to our children for sports and other recreational activities should not contract in the face of this growth.

The benefits to children continue long after elementary school. Participating in youth team teaches  many skills including socialization, sportsmanship, collegiality, discipline, teamwork, and collaboration to achieve a common goal.

A full-size baseball field requires at least 6 acres. There are scant parcels of available land this size, especially near Staples to provide a logistically convenient home for the SHSB freshman team. The cost to purchase such a parcel of land would be exorbitant. WBS and SBHS are open to learning of other locations for a field in lieu of Long Lots that is available now, or no later than the commencement of construction at Long Lots Elementary School.

Elementary School Student Use

We understand anecdotally that field space at Long Lots was originally donated with the intent that it would be used for athletics and recreation for children. But team baseball play at the current Long Lots field, which has commanded considerable attention in the commentary regarding the best outcome for the space, constitutes only a small fraction of its use. In the fall for example, Westport soccer appropriately has priority for the upper and lower fields at Long Lots.

Our outstanding elementary schools are fortunate to benefit from expansive outdoor grounds where gym classes are taught, recess is enjoyed, after-school activities are conducted, playdates, picnics and field days are held, and team sports are played.

Kings Highway and Saugatuck Elementary Schools share about 8.5 acres of open space, including a playground, PJ Romano turfed field (football and lacrosse), tennis courts, and baseball and softball diamonds.

Coleytown Elementary School features 3.5 acres that are home to 2 playgrounds and a basketball court, in addition to the smaller baseball and softball fields.

There is a Little League diamond, and other fields, behind Coleytown Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Greens Farms Elementary School offers 2 acres of open grass space used for baseball and other sports, a basketball court and playground. Extended access until mid-evening is feasible because of lights.

On the other hand, Long Lots Elementary School has a 2-tiered field complex, consisting of 2.75 acres on the upper level where the baseball diamond is cut into about a quarter of the grass, surrounded by multiple soccer fields. The playground and basketball court are separate from the field area being discussed.

We have already noted the shortcomings of the existing Long Lots baseball field.  Construction of a new school on the upper level would supplant the full-size baseball field. Building a new full-size field on the lower level would displace the soccer fields which are already heavily utilized.

But these consequences pale in comparison to the impact on the students, families and neighbors of the Long Lots Elementary School community, which would be deprived of the current green space adjacent to the school where the baseball field is situated for the uses discussed above, which already is inferior to the open space available at the other Westport elementary schools.

False Narrative; Conclusion

The narrative of “Westport Baseball” versus the Community Gardens is a manufactured one that has engendered much passion and acrimony.

Neither WBS nor SHSB has requested that the Long Lots baseball field be relocated anywhere, including to the current location of the beloved Gardens.

Westport Community Gardens and adjacent Long Lots Preserve.

It is counterproductive and divisive to pit “Westport Baseball” or any other Westport sport against the Gardens, and vice versa, even if the perception is that the priorities and preferences of the groups differ and that they are necessarily competing for the same physical real estate.

It is especially disconcerting when the leadership of WBS and SHSB have never been formally approached for a discussion, or even asked for their views.  Further, WBS is not conspiring with the WSA to replace or relocate the Gardens.  WSA posted its thoughtful views earlier this month on this blog.

The characterization of Plan C-ALT exemplifies this effort to be provocative: “Plan C-ALT would allow the garden to remain at the expense of Long Lots’ baseball diamond.”

The actual narrative should be that Plan C-ALT would allow the gardens to remain at the expense of eliminating nearly half of the existing precious open space at Long Lots. As explained above, while Westport’s baseball and soccer programs would certainly suffer if the field was eliminated, the primary losers would be the children who attend Long Lots Elementary School, and their families and neighbors of Long Lots.

WBS’s and SHSB’s only objective is to not sacrifice one of Westport’s full-sized baseball fields for the reasons discussed above. We do not require that the field be located anywhere on the Long Lots property.

But if the field is to be eliminated at Long Lots, then we respectfully request that a new full-size field be built in close proximity to Staples.

Open space for sports fields in Westport is already highly limited. Neither WBS nor SHSB is aware of an alternative site for a full-size baseball field that would serve the needs of the members of their respective communities.

We do not want to lose the field, and be dismissed with a promise to find space in the future for a construction project and capital expenditure that needs to be planned and budgeted over many years.

We need it now, and the construction of a new Long Lots Elementary School will exacerbate an already challenging situation for Westport baseball and other sports.

WBS and SHSB’s official joint position is that we support any plan that the Committee proposes that maintains the current open space at Long Lots Elementary School and ensures that we continue to have access to a full-size baseball field, whether built at Long Lots or a suitable alternative location.

To reiterate: We admire and respect what the gardeners have achieved on the grounds of the Gardens, and in the Westport community more broadly, over the past 20 years. We hope that the Gardens are preserved and remain for generations to come.

We expect that WBS, SHSB, the Gardens, and perhaps anyone who enjoys the outdoors, have a shared interest in preserving and, in fact, seeking out and allocating more open green spaces in Westport.

WBS and SHSB defer to the considered judgment of the Committee, with continued input from the Board of Education, Long Lots Elementary School leadership and parents, the Gardens and Westport’s sports programs leaders, and its determination as to the future of the Gardens and where to resituate the baseball field. 

We kindly ask for access to the formal discussion, dialogue and collaboration to identify and implement a solution that achieves these goals, rather than resigning ourselves to concluding it cannot happen, and engaging in polarizing and unproductive rhetoric.

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Posted in Children, Environment, Local politics, Sports, Staples HS

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