October 4, 2005

ATTENTION: ANYONE IN SUPPORT OF YOUTH ATHLETICS IN WOODBURY, CT

On Tuesday, October 11, 2005, at 7:30 p.m., there will be a Public Hearing of the Wetlands Commission at the

Emergency Services Building, 25 Quassuk Road in Woodbury.  The Wetlands Commission will be reviewing our plan to

construct new baseball/softball fields, a new football field and new all purpose fields for soccer and lacrosse in the town of Woodbury. 

It is very important for those in support of this effort to attend this public Hearing on October 11^th to demonstrate to the

permitting authorities that the people in the Town of Woodbury are indeed in support this development.  The “Recreational

Use” of playing fields is a permitted use for the proposed land and for the zoning.  The impact to Wetlands – of planting grass

and developing playing fields – is no more obtrusive than the growing and harvesting of corn, which is what the land is used

for at this time.  There is no legitimate reason for our proposal to not be approved by the Wetlands Commission and we

need to send them a loud and clear message of support! We ask that you please attend this meeting to show community

support for this development.

Background

If your child participates in Woodbury Baseball and Softball, you are likely aware of the field shortage at Hollow Park. 

Five major league teams share one field.  Five minor league teams share one field.  Eight rookie league teams and three

softball teams share one field.  Six T-ball teams and two younger girl softball teams also share one field at Mitchell School. 

More simply stated, that’s 22 teams using 4 extremely overused fields. As there are always games being played at these

fields there is also no space for anyone to simply practice.

Our plan to overcome this overload is to use land owned by Region 14 School District – and leased to Woodbury Baseball

and Softball.  We are proposing to construct a new set of fields on 19 acres that can be used by all the youth athletes in town

for a variety of sports.  The site has been owned by Region 14 for many years – and is being used by a local farmer to grow

corn as one of several hundred acres he farms throughout the town.  Region 14 – as owner of the property – leased the land

to Woodbury Baseball and Softball – as the Region recognizes the needs of the town for more playing fields AND expects

to be able to use the fields for the high school teams in order to alleviate the over use of the existing high school fields as well.

Woodbury Baseball and Softball has already raised over $100,000 to develop phase 1 of this project – a new Little League

Baseball field and a new Little League Softball field.  In addition, the football organization has also raised significant funds

to cover the cost of developing a football field.  We entered into an agreement with Region 14 to use underutilized Region

14 property and raise private money to develop the fields.  This agreement uses NO taxpayer money and utilizes property

owned by the Region that was obviously intended to benefit more than one individual and solves a desperate need at the

youth sports and High School levels for more and better playing fields.

Any other location in town that is an option for field development would cost taxpayers money, take years to obtain

budget votes and road construction permits and also affect this same corn farmer as all the other options are on land

where he grows his corn.

Bottom line: The kids need fields.  It’s best to use land owned by Region 14 – whose entire purpose for existing is to benefit

the kids in town.  Providing hundreds of our young athletes the opportunity to play and practice on deeply needed fields far

outweighs the use of Region 14 property by one individual to grow corn – particularly when he farms hundreds of acres

throughout the town and region.

Your attendance at the Wetlands Commission meeting will be to show your support.  We will not be asking for anyone to

speak or make proposals.  We have people in place who will be presenting our plan to the commission who have been

working on this for some time. We are asking for your help in showing that we need these fields!

Also included with this letter is a form letter to the Chair of Inland Wetlands – Mary Tyrell (see link below). 

We ask if you could read it over and if you agree with what we are trying to do for our children, please sign it and send

it to her office.  Her address is at the top of the letter.  All it costs is 5 minutes of your time and a stamp. 

Please come and show your support.

Thank you,

The Board of Directors

Woodbury Baseball and Softball

Link to Wetlands Letter   --  As a Microsoft Word Document