Could we play ball yet or what?
Ball fields, six years in the making, may open soon
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Town officials are hoping to get the new softball fields in Calverton open by spring.
Riverhead Town officials are hoping it will be in a few months, but they admit, they're not sure.
"We're going to try to have them open in spring," Supervisor Sean Walter said.
The new 62-acre park has been in the works since 2004. The town has run into a number of obstacles along the way, including the state's Pine Barrens Commission, which filed suit claiming it had jurisdiction over the park; the state Department of Transportation, which wanted the town to construct miles of sidewalks along Route 25 outside the park, and the county health department, which clashed with the town over its desire to see the park's bathrooms connected to the Calverton Sewer District.
Town officials said all of those issues now appear to be resolved, and the only remaining obstacles are time and money.
"We're broke," Mr. Walter said at last Thursday's Town Board work session. "We're not going to try to put any more debt on the backs of residents that we don't take off from the previous year,"
Four new softball fields, which also can be used for baseball, are already built, but the town still needs to install parking, lights, and a bathroom.
Other parts of the 62-acre park, including proposed soccer/football fields, and basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, are planned for later development.
Town Recreation supervisor Ray Coyne said his office already is flooded with requests from leagues and groups seeking to play on the new Calverton softball fields, because the existing town fields are full.
"They are fighting over the fields," he said. "I keep telling them we're going to have four new fields at Calverton."
Assistant town engineer Christine Fetten said the county has agreed to allow the town to use cesspools for the bathroom at the ball fields for five years. After that, they must be hooked up to the Calverton sewer district.
The town also has to do some work involving the curb cut that is required by the state DOT.
"For the purpose of getting it open in spring, we'll do the minimum that we have to for the DOT, and as we're open, we'll work around stuff if we can," Mr. Walter said. "But lets get it open, the residents want it open. So, if they're parking on the grass, I'll take the phone calls when they're stepping in the mud.
tgannon@timesreview.com
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