Residents get chance to comment on three potential athletic complex designs

More than 50 Avon residents attended Thursday’s Town Council meeting to learn more about a proposed athletic complex on Thompson Road.

AVON — About 50 town residents were able to see the three latest design proposals for the proposed athletic complex that could be built on Thompson Road at the site of the former M.H. Rhodes Company.

Glastonbury-based BSC Group presented three concepts to the Town Council on Thursday night at Town Hall. The architectural firm has been working with a Recreation and Park design subcommittee to come up with a design for an athletic facility that the Council could consider.

Each concept included a multi-use synthetic turf field and a natural grass field. The turf field included bleachers that could seat up to 1,000 fans, a home and visitor locker room and press box. The concepts included a concession stand, storage, restrooms, nature trails and a small playground area.

The complex could be used by Avon High’s football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey teams along with various youth sports organizations.

One of the objectives of the presentation was to give the public a chance to comment on the concepts being drawn up by the firm and to give the Town Council an update on the progress of the designs.

Residents spoke in favor and against the athletic complex proposal in a spirited session. Some residents said that their input has not been solicited or taken into account.

Mark Zacchio, chair of the Town Council, encouraged residents to ask questions and offer design suggestions about the proposal. Questions about the athletic complex, the presentation by the design firm and additional questions about the concepts shown at the meeting took about two hours.

“Ultimately, it will be a referendum issue and the town will decide,” Zacchio said.

Allison Folkwein, a resident and parent of a current high school student, said, “I’m very excited about the possibility of this project happening. It will be a community project that everyone will be able to use. It’s time to be open and look at the possibilities.”

Marty Lisevick, a town resident and the athletic director at Staples High in Westport, urged the Town Council to form a committee that includes neighbors to help design the facility and determine how it will be used. He said Staples has installed four turf fields over the past few years.

Cost estimates won’t be determined until a final design is developed.

Input from Thursday night’s meeting will be used to influence the design of the athletic complex. The Recreation and Park subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 a.m. at Town Hall offices. The public is invited to attend and offer comments and suggestions.

An eight land track and field facility was included in an earlier design but dropped because there wasn’t enough space on the 15-acre parcel. The Recreation and Park subcommittee has considered 12 potential designs.

Concept M has the main turf field with the facilities at the lower end of the property farther away from Thompson Road neighbors.

Concept N has the turf field closer to Thompson Road.

Concept 0 has the two fields side by side near Thompson Road.

“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,” Zacchio said earlier this week.

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 that will open next Friday, Sept. 12 when Farmington hosts Simsbury on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. 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.