Recreation Commission Looking for Basketball Courts

ESSEX:

    Residents looking for a pick-up basketball game can find some outdoor hoops set up around town–behind Town Hall, near the tennis courts at Essex Elementary School, Hubbard Park–but these are just hoops and some macadam.

    There are no full size outdoor public basketball courts in town–and the Park and Recreation Commission wants to change that. Recreation Director Brian Wilson is looking at possible locations along with First Selectman Philip Miller.

    In July Park and Recreation Commission members Cissy Brown and Mike Holmes approached the Board of Selectmen with a proposal to locate basketball courts at the commuter parking lot located next to the Fire Department. A new, much larger commuter lot off Exit 4 at Route 9 is being built by the Department of Transportation and is expected to open any day now. Once that happens, the state will transfer ownership of the commuter lot adjacent the firehouse to the town.

    The Park and Recreation Commission told the selectmen that donations are available to cover the estimated cost of developing courts at the commuter lot and asked the board to consider the proposal. The selectmen said they support the concept of an outdoor basketball court, but would need a full evaluation of the plan and costs. The selectmen also cautioned that there were other, competing interests for use of the commuter lot.

    “We understand there are a few other parties interested in using the commuter lot for other purposes. In the Park and Recreation Commission’s view, it was an ideal location with sufficient space for two outdoor courts, the necessary power and hook-ups for lights, and a visible spot to better insure safety,” Wilson said last week.

    The selectmen have also received correspondence and comments from the Board of Trade and Economic Development Commission. Both groups want to retain at least a portion of the commuter lot for parking as a means of relieving parking pressures in the downtown village shopping area. The Essex Fire Department is interested in the lot for its use.

    “Understanding that these requests have been brought forward, I am now looking at possible alternatives,” Wilson said. One possibility being considered is at Essex Elementary School. There are some basketball hoops there now, next to the two tennis courts. When school is in session, however, the area around and under the hoops is used for overflow parking.

    Wilson has compiled a list of pros and cons for the site: “In my mind, the advantages are outweighed by the disadvantages.”

    The advantages: The area is already used for recreation, with playgrounds, swings, and tennis courts. It is leveled and already paved. Development costs would be minimal.

    The disadvantages, Wilson said, center on the location itself.

    “The courts would be located far back from a main road. They would not be visible, and that would be a safety and security issue. We hoped to have the courts lighted for nighttime use, but there is no electricity now at the site. Bringing electricity back there might be expensive,” he explained.

    In addition, the park area closes at sunset. The Board of Education does not allow anyone onto school grounds after dark.

    “We are still looking. There are a few potential locations. This will be part of a discussion at the next Park and Recreation Commission,” Wilson added.