Greenwich Residents Could See Increase In Park Pass Fees, Other Programs For '23

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich residents could see an increase in beach fees and other various parks and recreation programs for 2023.

Parks & Rec. Director Joe Siciliano went before the Board of Selectmen last week to present the 2023 proposed fee schedule.

"We do this selectively. We don't raise every fee every year. The fees we're proposing are just modest increases to keep us current in the fee market," Siciliano said, explaining that the department looks at neighboring towns and competing programs when trying to come up with fee changes each year.

"We take this seriously. We're still trying to stay reasonably within the market so people will use our programs and sign up for all the offerings we have," Siciliano added. "I think we're well within that. It just shows that all of our programs are widely used."

Siciliano also highlighted something new for 2023 that has been years in the making.

"We have the ability to offer the beach, golf, paddle tennis, tennis, etc., all on a single card for renewal, so as you renew for our park pass, you'll be able to select other options. All your transactions will be at one time, it will all be on one card that will have a barcode on the back, and that barcode will tell us what programs you participate in," Siciliano said, noting that the department will roll out the feature for major programs to begin with.

"It should save the resident some anxiety, and should save us from having to do this repetitive thing for every program that we have. We're prepared to do this come January," he said.

According to the proposed changes, the cost of an annual park pass, which includes access to Greenwich's beaches, would be $40 before April 15, and $45 on or after April 15, an increase of $5 each over the 2022 fee.

The single entry park pass for non-card holders ages 5 to 64 would increase from $9 to $10 in 2023.

The child pass for those ages 5 to 15 would increase from $10 to $15. The child accompaniment fee would jump to $50 from $40.

Fees for membership cards for tennis would increase by $5, to $40 before April 15, and $45 after that date.

Prices for adult pickleball, a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years, would also go up.

Currently, the cost for pickleball for two days per week costs $66, or $49 with a senior card. The proposed changes would move the fees to $80, or $60 with a senior card. The fee for three days per week would be $124/$104 with a senior card.

The price for drop -in three courts remains at $5 per day, but there would also be an option for non-residents at $8 per day.

Field users in-season could see a $1 increase to $22 for non-profit use, and $24 for profit use.

Synthetic turf field rentals would increase from $65 per hour to $70 for profit use, and from $50 per hour to $55 for nonprofits.

View the entire proposed fee schedule here.

The selectmen did not take any action on the proposed fees, and instead decided to wait for public feedback.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said he had no problems with the proposed increases, and called them "very reasonable."

Selectperson Lauren Rabin disagreed.

"I think some of these increases are a little much. One specifically I'm looking at is the child beach card. If you have multiple children, that's a 50 percent increase," she said.

"You also have to think about the last time we raised the fee, which is probably five years ago," Siciliano responded.

"I understand that," added Rabin, "but a couple of them are a bit much from my perspective."

The selectmen are expected to revisit the proposed fee schedule during their next scheduled meeting on Dec. 22.