Greenwich Selectmen Issue Letter Supporting Hamill Rink Task Force Recommendations

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Board of Selectmen this week issued a joint statement supporting the recommendations of the Hamill Rink Task Force for a new ice rink in town.

The task force recommended a new rink be built at Eugene Morlot Memorial Park, along with park improvements. The selectmen rejected the idea of building a rink at Baldwin Park.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation late last month approved a $542 million budget, passing off the spending plan to the Representative Town Meeting for final consideration and adoption in May.

Included in the budget is $1.2 million for design work and $40 million for construction of a new Hamill rink within Eugene Morlot Memorial Park.

The RTM can only make cuts to the proposed spending plan.

The full letter from First Selectman Fred Camillo and Selectwomen Lauren Rabin and Rachel Khanna can be found below:

To the Greenwich Community,

In February, the Hamill Rink Task Force presented its Morlot Park site recommendation and related modifications. The Board of Selectmen stands unanimous in its support of this proposal.

The Task Force conducted a thorough evaluation of all potential locations before concluding that Eugene Morlot Park is the right home for the new rink. As their final report details, alternative sites were found to be neither feasible nor appropriate. Other finalists conflicted with the town's Plan of Conservation and Development, sat in vulnerable flood and tidal surge zones, or posed significant environmental and zoning risks.

We want to be entirely clear: we do not—and will not—support developing an ice rink at the 100 Arch Street (Baldwin Park) location. This firm stance is rooted in the Task Force’s findings and our ongoing evaluation of future options for that site with the Arch Street Task Force.

The Board of Selectmen formally supports moving the Hamill Rink Task Force’s recommendation forward. With unanimous Municipal Improvement status (with conditions) granted by the Planning & Zoning Commission and funding recently approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation, the proposal is now ready for a final RTM vote at the May/June meeting.

Sincerely,

Fred Camillo
Lauren Rabin
Rachel Khanna