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Two meetings this week on design of Avon’s proposed athletic complex

Canton hosted its first-ever night football game at the high school Friday night against Lewis Mills.

Canton hosted its first-ever night football game at the high school last November against Lewis Mills.

The town of Avon will host two more meetings week looking for comments from the general public on the potential design of a new athletic complex on Thompson Road.

The proposed athletic complex could include a multi-use, synthetic turf field, lights and bleachers. The field could be used by Avon High’s football, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse teams and other groups. The proposed complex would be on a 15-acre, town-owned site on Thompson Road where M.H. Rhodes, which manufactured timers, switches and horsepower motors, was once located.

The Recreation and Parks design committee will meet Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. at Town Hall to review design recommendations from the architectural firm drawing up the plans – Glastonbury-based BSC Group.

The public is also invited to provide their input on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. when the Recreation and Parks design committee will present an update at the Town Council meeting. 

Town-owned property on Thompson Road where an athletic complex could be built.

Town-owned property on Thompson Road where an athletic complex could be built.

This is an ideal time to provide input because the athletic complex is being designed now.

 

“The presentation of the potential Thompson Road recreation area is for the (Town) Council to understand what design aspects have been considered by the architect and Recreation and Parks committee so the Council can provide feedback before a final design is submitted for our consideration,” said Mark Zacchio, chair of the Town Council, in a post on Facebook. “The town is in the design phase for that particular piece of property.”

Last February, the Town Council unanimously voted to appropriate $40,000 to be paid for the architect to draw up plans. Plans for the proposed park picked up steam last fall when the Avon Student Athletic Park Steering Committee met with 70 people attending one informational session.

Granby opened a new athletic complex at its high school last September with a new synthetic turf field surrounded by an eight-lane track. There is also an adjacent synthetic turf practice field. Canton constructed and opened a new synthetic turf facility with an eight-lane track last November as part of a reconfiguration of its parking lot at the high school.

Farmington is replacing its football field this summer with a new synthetic turf field. It should be ready when Farmington hosts Simsbury on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. The town received a $500,000 grant from the state to help pay for the cost of the $1.1 million project.

Simsbury is currently replacing its synthetic turf field and refurbishing its track. They added its new turf field in 2005.

More information about the project can be found at the Avon Student Athlete Park website.

 

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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