The development team for All Sports Village has come up with a way to build its proposal in Enfield without using any part of Brainerd Park.
But until the new approach goes successfully through the land-use process officials are taking a dual approach to the project.
The proposed project to build a sports complex at the now-vacant MassMutual office park on Bright Meadow Road originally called for developer Andrew Borgia of Fast Track Realty and Anthony Ardolino of All Sports Village to lease a portion of the nearby 32.6-acre town-owned Brainerd Park for artificial-turf playing fields as part of their financing requirements.
Residents, however, said at a March 6 public hearing that they are against the town transferring the land, which was donated to the town in 1958, for private use by a developer.
In response, Borgia and Ardolino last week said they are revising their plans by removing a proposed indoor turf building and adding it to the basketball building that would be constructed on the MassMutual property. This would allow for the fields originally planned for the park to be placed on the MassMutual site.
The developers also have a purchase and sale agreement for property at 113 Brainard Road to use for the sports complex. They will be going before the Planning and Zoning Commission to request a zone change from residential to business regional.
According to Town Manager Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, it’s unknown at this time what will happen with the new development plan when it goes before the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency and PZC. So she advised the Town Council on Monday to consider a dual plan approach to the proposed project.
To that end, the Town Council on Monday in a 9-1 vote, approved conducting a title search for leasing a portion of Brainerd Park, consulting with the Charitable Trust Unit at the attorney general’s office about leasing a portion of the park, and authorizing her to enter into discussion with Fast Track Realty about a fixed tax assessment agreement for 100 Bright Meadow Road.
According to Zoppo-Sassu, Borgia has said he is willing to continue paying taxes on the current assessed value of the property and explore the option of a possible tax break on any new improvements he brings to the site.
Town Council member Michael Ludwick voted against the three resolutions and Town Council member Ken Nelson has recused himself from voting on the project because he is representing Borgia in the sale of the MassMutual campus.
Several Town Council members said that although they would vote for the three resolutions, it is disappointing to them that the plan has changed.
“I think Enfield is losing out on an amazing upgrade to Brainerd Park,” Deputy Mayor Gina Cekala said. “The benefits to the town, give or take $6.5 million, are ones we would have seen for years to come.”
In return for leasing a portion of Brainerd Park, Borgia had proposed to spend $6.5 million in park improvements at Brainerd and improved fields at the Enfield Annex so the town would have contingency fields during what would have been construction at Brainerd.
The new plan would remove all consideration for Enfield teams to have access to the fields for free, an annual park maintenance fund allocation, park improvements at Brainerd, and the developer improving fields at the Enfield Annex.
Town Council member John Santanella said he agreed with Cekala and would support the idea of dual planning, but he is disappointed that what he called a “loud minority” asked that officials walk away from what would most certainly benefit the town.
Mayor Bob Cressotti said it was unfortunate for the town to hear there is now a different plan for the sports complex.
“We can’t be satisfied with a town of our size to not have great fields,” Cressotti said. “We had an opportunity to enhance our park,” he said. “The new plan eliminates a lot of those visions, which is a big loss to our town.”
He said there are people in the community who are afraid of change but they need to have confidence in the people proposing the project and the economic development that could be brought to the town.
Ludwick said it’s wrong to say that the town is not moving forward just because it is “not giving away a piece of property.” He said he doesn’t need a lawyer to tell him that Brainerd Park is taxpayer property.
Town Council member Nick Hopkins said he’s excited to see the new plan and it makes sense for the town to explore all of its options at this point.
He said there’s an opportunity for the town and residents to have a renewed focus on Brainerd Park and referred to a group that wants to hold a clean-up day at the park.
“I hope that keeps up,” Hopkins said.
