A few weeks ago the Greenwich Planning & Zoning commission approved Municipal Improvement status for a new Dorothy Hamill Rink in Byram.
They also advanced the Preliminary Site Plan to Final. Both votes were 4-1 with Margarita Alban, Dennis Yeskey, Peter Lowe, and Arn Wells all voting yes and Mary Jenkins voting no.
On Dec 22, four Byram residents exercised their prerogative as property owners to appeal the MI status for the rink and Strazza field to the RTM.
In a letter to the town clerk, Al Shehadi, Lucy von Brachel, Liz Eckert and Joe Kantorski wrote, “We are writing to refer the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval of a Municipal Improvement for the relocation and replacement of the Dorothy Hamill Rink and Strazza Field, both located within Eugene Morlot Park in Byram (PLPZ 2024 00246) (the ‘Hamill Rink Replacement MI’) to the Greenwich RTM as provided for under Article 9, Section 100 of the Town Charter.”
The rink was originally for open-air skating dating back to 1971.
Over the ensuing years, a roof structure was placed over the ice surface in 1973.
Masonry walls were added to fully enclose the building in 1979.
Concrete bleachers were constructed in 1997.
The refrigeration piping is encased in concrete below the ice, and the building lacks thermal insulation and proper ventilation.
The facility fails to meet ADA code and fails to meet the minimum requirement for public toilets, so the skaters and the public share the same bathrooms.
The need for a new rink is universally agreed.
The devil’s in the details.
Before the approvals on Dec 10, the application had been before the commission numerous times, with feedback ranging from concerns for the massive disturbance to the topography to the positioning of the new rink smack in the middle of the precious green space in the densely developed Byram neighborhood.
On Dec 10, the commission asked that the Final Site Plan include an outreach program for McKinney Terrace residents.
Also, they required the applicant to return for a meeting open to neighbors to attend inviting their input.
Further, they were asked to use flags to map out the improvements and changes to the park to help the commission visualize them, and show a side-by-side comparison of proposed changes in a format that enables comparisons.
Before casting the lone no vote on the Preliminary site plan, commissioner Mary Jenkins shared her reasons.
She said the new rink and new traffic circle in front of it would be “extraordinarily close” to both senior residential facilities and the Veterans Memorial Park.
“This proposal elevates, in my opinion, the programming needs and objectives of the Dept of Parks & Rec over the protection and enhancement of a neighborhood greenspace with charm and history.”
Lastly, Jenkins said the additional traffic and operational hours of the rink would create additional safety and quality of life issues for the neighbors.
She noted the rink hours would go as late as 11:00pm.
During public comment at the Dec 10 meeting, BNA’s land use chair Al Shehadi said his neighborhood organization continued its opposition to the plan.
He pointed a finger at the rink committee’s goal of “no loss of rink time.”
Locating a new rink in the middle of the field, referred to as “the flip,” rather on the existing footprint offers the benefit of continued rink use.
See also:
Hamill Rink MI Approved by P&Z; Site Plan Moves to Final with Lengthy Requirements Dec 11, 2024
P&Z Watch: Hamill Rink Plan “An Enormous Amount of Site Disturbance” Dec 8, 2021
Selectmen Vote on Naming Resolution to Protect .6 Acre ‘Byram Veterans Memorial Grove’ in Perpetuity Nov 24, 2021
P&Z Watch: Plans for Historic Thomas Lyon House, Gateway to Greenwich, Well Received by Commission Dec 8, 2021
Rink User Committee Votes on 2-Way Access Road, Relocation of Hamill Rink Despite Veterans, BNA Objection May 29, 2021