At special meeting, public can ask questions about turf proposal

The town hopes to bring a proposal for a synthetic turf field at Avon High to voters this December.

AVON, November 4 – A special town meeting will be held Monday night at the Senior Center regarding two proposed projects under consideration at a referendum vote on December 12.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Senior Center to consider a proposal to replace the track and field facility at Avon High and install a synthetic turf field where the current football field is located and a proposal to replace radio communication system.

The purpose is to give the public one last opportunity to make comments and ask questions about the projects before a referendum vote on December 12.

The synthetic turf project will cost an estimated $2.99 million and include a new eight-lane track and field facility along with a synthetic turf field.

The original turf proposal called for the field to be built with coated crumb rubber. However, after discussions with residents at several meetings this fall, the Town Council voted on October 23 to use acrylic coated sand as the infill between the plastic blades of grass.

Avon High’s Dan Quick runs for a touchdown in Saturday’s win over Rocky Hill — the final game of the season for the football team at home.

The radio project, which is called the Town and Public Safety Communication System replacement would include replacement of the town’s existing conventional analog public safety radio system with a 700 MHz radio system including the acquisition and installation of dispatch consoles and user devices, the installation of a new radio tower and related improvements to the existing Huckleberry Hill tower location on Kingswood Drive, site improvements to the existing tower sites on Deercliff Road and Ridgewood Road, and related work and improvements.

The proposed cost of the radio project, which would serve the town police department, volunteer fire department, emergency management team, the town Department of Public Works and the Board of Education, is $3.89 million.