Support Solidifies for Revised Flint Park Plans

by Judy Silberstein

(January 25, 2007) Support appears to be solidifying behind a Larchmont Village Board Plan for adding an artificial turf field at Flint Park. This comes after an intense week – of back-to-back work sessions, scrutiny of designs, controversy over a mailed survey (see: Letters), conversations with Mamaroneck Town officials, community groups and the sports leagues. All this is in preparation of the Village Board’s vote, scheduled for Monday, January 29, on a resolution to apply for approximately $2 million from Westchester County’s Legacy program to pay for the field and related improvements.

According to Westchester County Legislator Judy Myers, who strongly supports the application, Larchmont could learn within a month how much Legacy funding - if any – it would receive. There is no formal deadline, she explained to residents and members of the Village Board, Flint Park Conservancy, Fields for Kids and sports leagues who were packed into the conference room at Village Hall for the work session on Saturday, January 20. But the 2007 Legacy budget is limited to $7 million, and other communities have begun to submit large requests, including one from New Rochelle for $5 million to turf their ball fields on 5th Avenue.

What would help Larchmont’s bid? Ms. Myers mentioned a commitment to affordable housing, evidence of inter-municipal cooperation and a demonstration of community need. The Village Board has rejected another potential “quid pro quo” – taking over the County’s responsibility for maintaining a mile of Palmer Avenue.

What’s Changed: Parking First

The first major change to the plan as presented on January 8 was to parking. (See: Residents Respond as New Flint Park Proposal is Detailed) Original plans called for adding diagonal parking on both sides of the road (between the artificial and grass fields) along with a 10-spot lot at the end nearest the water. That concept has been dropped, following strenuous objections, largely from Locust Avenue residents concerned with congestion and safety in and near the park.

Plans for the January 20 work session show improved parking at the entrance (lower left); at the American Legion hall (upper left); and no parking along the road towards the water. More space is available for the environmental area (in pink at right) because of repositioning of the adjacent fields and shrinking of the leaf compost site (beige square at right). Plans by Woodard and Curran.

Reorganizing and expanding the lot near the American Legion hall is the alternate suggestion, explained Anthony Catalano, an engineer with Woodard and Curran consultants. Conversations are ongoing with Mamaroneck officials to allow use of some adjacent Town land for this purpose. The plan still calls for four spots at the end of the road, but the Board is considering reserving those for handicap access to the environmental area. At the request of Lisa Ahmad, whose home abuts the park at Locust Avenue, improvements are also being considered for the gravel lot at the park’s entrance to increase capacity and enhance aesthetics.

Fences, Seating, (Absolutely No) Lights

Although a 4-foot fence around the artificial field was considered for aesthetic reasons, by the second work session there was general consensus that a substantially taller fence would be required to protect the turf. Regardless of height, landscaping would soften the visual impact, said Mr. Catalano.

Mayor Feld took issue with characterizations of the plan from a survey mailed to over 700 residents by the Flint Park Conservancy. She clarified that there are no “stadium seats” (only traditional bleachers) and no plans for permanent field lights – not even conduits to enable adding the lights in the future.

Reshaping the Artificial Field

The most dramatic change was suggested late in Wednesday’s work session: the artificial field would lose its Little League “bump-out” to yield a smaller, rectangular configuration. This was seen as more attractive and would leave more space for picnicking and landscaping.

There would still be room for Little League baseball on the artificial turf and also in a new grass field to be carved out at Lorenzen Park, “kitty-corner” to the existing baseball field in a space now used – with many problems - for soccer.

Mayor Feld praised David Fishman, from the Larchmont Mamaroneck Little League, for “selflessness,” but he viewed the move as a “win” for baseball and no loss for soccer. With some rehab, the Lorenzen field will drain and function much better for baseball – which does not compact and tear up the turf the way soccer does, Mr. Fishman explained. He is expecting some access to the artificial turf for Little League, particularly for summer travel teams, but recognizes that soccer and lacrosse would have priority during their seasons.

Sid Ings, president of Larchmont Junior Soccer, was satisfied that Lorenzen would still have room for soccer practice and games for the younger teams, who play on a small-scale field.

Impact on the Environmental Area: More Space, Guaranteed Timing?

To allay concerns of the Flint Park Conservancy and other advocates for the environmental area, Mr. Catalano produced new drawings for the Wednesday work session that showed how the new plans –including recent revisions - were less intrusive than those developed two years ago. (See: Designs Jell for Flint Park Ball Fields & Environmental Area.) Both the baseball and soccer fields have been drawn away from the nature area along the water at the eastern edge of the park. In addition, the Department of Public Works has determined it can cut back its adjacent leaf composting site. In total, more than an acre will be added to the nature walk, estimated Mr. Catalano.

How about timing - it’s been a long wait, said Mark Godick of the Coastal Zone Management Commission. If the fields are developed first, would there be enough money – or community interest – in completing the environmental area, he questioned.

Mr. Catalano discussed the advantage of going out for bid on all three projects at once: the artificial turf field (and related improvements), the east grass field renovation; and the environmental area development. The idea would be to keep the grass fields in use until the artificial turf field is complete. However, Mayor Feld stressed that work on the environmental area could begin at any time. Trustee Jim Millstein suggested passing a resolution that would require the environmental project to begin before work on the grass fields could start.

Of course, the three-prong plan is contingent on raising more than $4 million, including $2 million or more from the Legacy Program. Trustee Millstein said the Fields for Kids group will be expected to help raise around $1 million from the community to augment Village funds available from previous grants and bond issues. The Flint Park Conservancy will also be fundraising for the environmental area.

Consensus From the Work Sessions

By the end of Wednesday’s lengthy work session, a slew of concerns had been raised and responded to. At least for those attending the sessions and working to shape the plans, support appeared universal. Those who had begun the week skeptical or critical of the designs – including board members from the Flint Park Conservancy – were now calling the plans a “step forward.” (See: Letters). Mr. Godick said he was glad the project was not begun two years ago – “this is so much better.”

“The fact that you dove in and spent all that time has made the plan 10 times better,” said Mayor Feld.

Despite the consensus, additional changes are likely. If the Village Board goes ahead with an application for Westchester Legacy funds, it submits only provisional - or even conceptual - plans. There remains time for further input from the community, additional collaboration with the Town of Mamaroneck or the Mamaroneck Schools and more study by consultant engineers and park experts.

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