Submitted by Eric LaRosee, Byram Resident, Parent, and Vice Chair of Byram Neighborhood Association
I am writing as a Byram resident, a parent, and the Vice Chair of the Byram Neighborhood Association, to discuss certain recent and misguided calls from within the RTM to either condition or cut funding for the project and to discuss my support for the Hamill Rink replacement project.
Greenwich does not, and should not, ever operate as a plutocracy. Public projects should not depend on whether a small group of wealthy residents chooses to underwrite them. Our roads, schools, parks, fire stations, libraries, and recreational facilities are built because the community, through its elected representatives, determines they are needed, not because private individuals decide they are worthy.
That concern is especially relevant in Byram, where Hamill Rink has stood for 55 years. Imposing such a requirement now would move the goalposts after a lengthy, thorough, and good-faith public process. It would also set the wrong precedent for neighborhoods like Byram. As one of Greenwich’s more economically diverse communities, Byram should not be put in a position where essential public investment depends on the private capacity or preferences of a small number of donors.
Hamill Rink and Morlot Park have been part of Byram for generations. They are vital community assets, particularly for families who depend on accessible, public recreational space. The plan before the RTM preserves those assets in Byram, improves them, and addresses longstanding issues while strengthening the park overall. After all this community has invested in the process, it would be deeply unfair to delay or derail the project now.
Private fundraising can and should play a role. It should be pursued fully. However, it cannot be a precondition for a public project to move forward.
The same is true of efforts to cut construction funding from the budget. That would run directly against the message sent by voters in last November’s elections and return us to the short-sighted approach many residents rejected. It would not save money. It would delay this project, slow others in the pipeline, and produce worse policy at higher cost.
That is also consistent with the action already taken by the Board of Estimate and Taxation. In approving the full budget for the Hamill Rink replacement project, including construction funding, the BET called for the presentation and acceptance of a formal fundraising campaign by the Office of the First Selectman, including targets, timelines, and naming opportunities. Importantly, the BET did not require that private funds be secured before the project advances, nor did it adopt a piecemeal, year-by-year approach.
Last November, Greenwich voters sent a loud message. The transition of the BET was not just about policy. It was about principle. The town is tired of inaction being dressed up as financial conservatism. Too often, delay is framed as discipline, when it is simply avoidance. And in capital planning, time is money. This project is now estimated at nearly double earlier figures. Delaying necessary public investments under the guise of fiscal responsibility is not prudent stewardship. It is the opposite. The longer we wait, the more taxpayers will pay.
The Hamill Rink replacement project reflects the kind of local government residents say they want: transparent, forward-looking, and results-oriented. The process has been public. The planning has been thoughtful. The support has been overwhelming.
Additionally, as a Byram resident and Vice Chair of the Byram Neighborhood Association, I feel compelled to address the repeated claim that any members, of either the BNA or District 4 RTM representation, speak on behalf of Byram in opposing this project. Those persons do not speak on behalf of Byram. There has been no formal vote of residents or any adopted official position of the BNA on the matter.
The views expressed publicly under the “Speaking for Byram” banner have reflected a smaller group of engaged residents, whose perspectives are entitled to respect. But those views should not ever be mistaken for a consensus position of the broader Byram community.
The fuller record tells a more nuanced story. Throughout this process, many Byram residents have spoken and written in support of the project, and even the BNA’s own survey did not demonstrate neighborhood opposition. There is simply no credible basis to say that Byram is against this project. If anything, the record shows substantial and meaningful support within the broader community.
It is also worth recognizing just how broad that support has been. The Hamill Rink Task Force approved the current plan by an 8-1 vote, with the lone dissenter favoring a different location rather than raising an objection based on cost or funding structure. The Office of the First Selectman approved of it, 3-0. The Planning & Zoning Commission approved it 5-0. The BET approved it 12-0. It is hard to recall another project of this scale receiving such broad and bipartisan support at every stage.
Hamill Rink has served generations of families in Byram and across Greenwich. The question now is simple: whether replacing critical, aging public infrastructure is in the best interest of our town and our children. If we care about preserving skating and hockey opportunities for the next generation, then this project should move forward without further delay.
Sincerely,
Eric LaRosee
Byram Resident, Parent, and Vice Chair of Byram Neighborhood Association