Town unsure it wants ball field
Toolbox
By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER - Published: September 18, 2009
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Rotary Club wants to give the town of Springfield a present – but the town isn't sure that it wants it.
The present is Rotary Field, the former Ben & Jerry's ball field in the North Springfield Industrial Park, which the Rotary Club bought from Ellsworth Ice Cream a few years ago for $35,000.
But Mark Blanchard, the chairman of the Springfield Select Board, made his feelings clear. He said during Monday's Select Board meeting he didn't like the idea of the town owning a recreational field in an industrial park. Period.
"It shouldn't be in an industrial park," Blanchard said, adding that the field had limited parking. "It's not a good place for a park."
But others disagreed, noting that many professional ball parks were located in industrial areas.
And Andy Bladyka, the town's recreation director, disagreed. "It serves its purpose very well," said Bladyka, who noted that Rotary Field was only the second field in Springfield with a full-sized baseball diamond.
While the field could do with some upgrades, Bladyka said, "that field is entirely playable. It's a heck of a lot better than having to build it."
He said the recreation department staff works on the field on a daily basis.
Bladyka said the field, which is across Fairbanks Road from the former Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., plant, was built by Ben & Jerry's and Gurney Brothers Construction in 1996-97.
The Rotary Club, according to Rotary Club former president Larry Kraft, who is also chairman of the Springfield School Board, wants to give the field to the town, with promises from the Rotary Club that it would raise funds to make improvements to the field, such as outdoor bathrooms and bleachers.
Patty Chaffee, the current Rotary Club president, said the Rotary could not make an absolute promise that it would make the improvements. If the club can't raise the funds, she said, it can't make the improvements.
"The big dream was a little bit bigger than we thought," she said, saying the club had estimates it might cost $500,000 to do everything the club had wanted to do. "We don't have money for anything right now," she said.
Kraft said the club wanted to give the field to the town, with the condition that the field be called Rotary Field and that it remain a ball field.
While Blanchard took a hard line, other board members said they were concerned about future costs, and the future costs finding their way into the town budget.
"We see this as popping up on our budget down the road," said board member Terri Benton.
Board member Kristi Morris said he thought the industrial park location might actually work in the town's favor – in fundraising in the future.
A draft governance agreement will be considered by the board at a later date. Kraft said the club was also looking to have the $1,800 in annual taxes waived.
susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com
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