Submitted by Jim Finn, Cos Cob
If this week’s votes from six committees of the RTM is any indication, the rink user committee’s request for an up-or-down vote next Tuesday on the so-called “Flip” Municipal Improvement (MI) request to replace the Hamill rink is DOA.
After seven years of talking about replacing the half-century old rink, it appears that the town will be going back to the drawing board.
How is it possible that a project that has bi-partisan support has landed in this place? Why can’t we have nice things like other towns?
I, like other RTM members, was inundated this week with a letter writing campaign following the first selectman’s questionable use of the civic alert system expressing support for the rink. Many of the proponents of the project have suggested setting aside divisive politics and moving forward now.
But politics is not what’s really going on here…this is, in fact, one of the most bi-partisan responses we’ve seen lately at the RTM. A vast majority favors a new rink!
So, how did we get here?
I would submit that this advisory board has been flawed from the start when the first selectman assembled it seven years ago. And while there have been many twists in the road with the Flip – which was first proposed in December of 2021 only to be reversed in February 2022 to the existing footprint and back to the Flip on November 2023 – it is clear that we are no closer to building a new rink.
Flip flopping under the leadership of the first selectman and his hand-picked advisory board has led to the Flip being roundly rejected by the relevant RTM committees with jurisdiction over the issue. The process has been backwards and potentially in conflict with the town charter where an MI is required before any money is spent beyond basic surveys or studies.
As a D-8 member, I can’t tell you how upset all of my colleagues were Wednesday night at our monthly meeting – torn between the fact that we absolutely need a new rink, but feel pushed into urgently approving a process that hasn’t been transparent, appeared to quickly dismiss alternative sites, may have a bigger price tag than expected and, simply put, does not have the support of the RTM to approve the Flip MI.
So, how do we land this plane?
First, we need a process that is transparent, engenders trust and protects the taxpayers’ interests. Town meetings at night at town hall open to all citizens are key to re-establishing trust.
Second, reconstitute the advisory board with a broader group of people interested in a town asset that we’ll live with for 50+ years – not just the hockey community that, rightly or wrongly, has created a perception that ice time is its number one priority. The RTM is clearly not convinced and is suggesting that this is a false choice.
Third, seek the support and approval of the RTM in reconstituting the advisory board; after all, you’ll need the RTM’s support in the end.
Finally, I believe that the good news is that we don’t have to go back to the drawing board and wait another year before we can get to an MI that satisfies the town as a lot of work has already been done.
And I would urge the town to be more imaginative in thinking about alternatives…if the Flip doesn’t work, is there property that can be purchased by the town like Darien is doing? Past purchases like Tod’s Point and Pomerance have been great investments in our green space!
We need a development team that will re-establish trust in the process, identify potential sites, take them to MI for approval and, ultimately, to the RTM.
In the next few months, the Hamill rink needs an MI that the community believes in…we’re so close…let’s not lose the momentum.
Come on, Greenwich, we can do better!
Jim Finn is a resident of Cos Cob and a member of RTM D-8. His views are obviously his own.