Submitted by Joe Rothenberg
Delivering on Hamill Rink: Respecting the Process and Our Kids
I write to you as a Greenwich resident, a parent and a member of the Greenwich Cardinals Youth Hockey board who has followed the Hamill Rink replacement process for years. This letter is not an attempt to re-litigate the proposal itself; rather, it is about the integrity of our town’s process and what that process now requires of us.
- The Task Force and the Roadmap
Last year, the RTM sent this project back with a clear directive: broaden the process, deepen the analysis, and return with a stronger, consensus-driven plan. That is exactly what happened.
A new, diverse Task Force was empaneled, representing the RTM, BET, Town officials, the Byram community, and our Veterans. Over many months, they evaluated every viable option and refined a balanced proposal through extensive public engagement. The process was completely transparent; every meeting was public, the Task Force sought out relevant stakeholders and addressed their concerns, multiple public hearings were held at which people could speak, the Task Force took written comments from the public throughout the process and they posted all their materials on their website. The roadmap laid out by the RTM was followed to the letter.
The results speak for themselves. The recommendation was approved 8–1 by the Task Force, 3–0 by the Board of Selectmen, 5–0 by Planning & Zoning, and 12–0 by the BET. At every stage of scrutiny, this project has earned overwhelming support from our governing bodies.
- Modernizing Capital Planning
Last year’s elections sent a clear mandate: Greenwich must fix its capital planning process. Residents asked for a system that is disciplined, predictable, and – most importantly – capable of actually delivering projects. We cannot afford a system that cycles endlessly in a loop of indecision. The Hamill Rink project is exactly the kind of project this new, disciplined process was designed to produce and finalize, and it’s happening. This is a success story for the new way of doing things – clear, long-term planning borne of a thorough, public review process. This is exactly what we voted for.
- The Risk of Cutting or Conditioning Funding
Despite this consensus, there are renewed calls to cut construction funding or condition approval on private donations. We must recognize these for what they are: roadblocks to progress.
- Financial Impact: Cutting construction funding creates a “penny wise, pound foolish” scenario. It will inevitably delay the project, significantly increase long-term costs due to inflation, and push the burden into future budgets, crowding out other town priorities. This is a return to exactly the piecemeal, year-to-year approach that voters just explicitly rejected.
- A Dangerous Precedent: Conditioning public infrastructure on private wealth is problematic. Public facilities should not depend on the “philanthropic permission” of a few. This rink and park serve everyone – youth hockey, high schoolers, figure skaters, baseball players and other recreational users. It is a vital resource for families who do not have access to private clubs. We must not set a precedent where the ability to build public assets is dictated by access to private donors.
- Other Options Eliminated
Some opponents claim that we shouldn’t follow the Task Force’s recommendation because (a) another site is better, (b) there’s ice time available at other rinks or (c) we can build a temporary rink. None of those arguments are valid.
(a) The original Rink User Committee spent four years and concluded the rink should remain in Morlot Park. After the RTM rejected that plan over process concerns, the new Task Force – despite being, in BET member Doug Fenton’s words, “reputationally incentivized to find a different solution” – conducted a fresh review and reached the same conclusion with its modified proposal to address community concerns. All alternatives were evaluated, including:
- Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, which was considered and rejected (by both the Task Force and the Board of Selectmen) multiple times due to coastal risks, safety concerns for kids, parking constraints, and enormous cost; and
- the other “Exit 3” sites, which were eliminated by the Task Force unanimously for a number of reasons, including that they were found to be significantly more costly and to carry significantly more environmental risk, coastal risks, safety concerns for kids and parking constraints.
At this point, these are simply not realistic options – just ideas kept alive by a small group unwilling to accept the outcome of a thorough process.
(b) There is no ice time at other rinks to serve GHS hockey, Cardinals Youth Hockey, figure skating, recreational skating or the many town skating and hockey programs that call Hamill Rink their home. As the GM of Greenwich Skating Club and CEO of Wings Arena previously wrote to the RTM, there is zero available ice time during the fall and winter seasons on the days and during post-school hours, for those programs. Any assertion otherwise is, frankly, unserious.
(c) As previously noted in a letter delivered to the Task Force by, among others, the current and former coaches of GHS boys and girls varsity hockey, the Board of Cardinals Youth Hockey and the Manager of Hamill Rink, a temporary rink is not a viable solution. Our programs require a full facility with locker rooms, climate control, and the capacity for heavy daily use across hockey, figure skating, and recreational skating. A tent or portable structure would struggle to meet those needs (if it even could), and as the GHS Athletic Director has confirmed, there is no feasible location on GHS campus for one (and no other feasible site has been identified). It would also be unnecessarily costly and wasteful to build and dismantle each year, when a permanent solution already exists. A temporary rink would deliver an inferior experience at a higher and unjustifiable cost.
- Distinguishing Obstruction from Good Faith Input
We must recognize the pattern of the opposition. Many of the voices calling for cuts have opposed this project at every single turn. As each concern was addressed and resolved, a new objection was conveniently manufactured, continuing right up to today.
At some point, we must acknowledge the difference between constructive, good-faith input and an intractable effort to stop this project at any cost. When the goalposts are moved every time the ball is kicked, the process ceases to function.
- It is Time to Deliver
The work is done. The RTM’s roadmap was followed and rigorous conditions set by P&Z and the BET are already in place. This is now a question of whether we respect our own democratic and administrative processes.
The residents of Greenwich are tired of the stalemate. We are tired of years-long studies being cast aside after every committee has overwhelmingly voted “yes.” We want our children to have the same opportunities we had – to skate in a safe, modern facility that reflects the quality of our town. We don’t want youth hockey programs and GHS hockey shut-down.
I respectfully ask the RTM to stay consistent and move forward. Do not cut construction funding. Do not add unnecessary conditions.
After years of work and broad community consensus, this project is ready. It is time to deliver for our kids and our community.