New Canaan P&Z OKs ice rink in Waveny Park
NEW CANAAN — The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special permit for the ice skating rink at Waveny Park last week.
The 60- by 120-squarefoot rink will be located on the stone parking lot, between the softball field and the adult fitness area at the 300-acre park at 677 South Ave. The rink and two tents are expected to operate only during skating months, while the chiller will remain permanently on a concrete pad with an eight-foot cedar fence around it, according to the approval.
“It will really be a Norman Rockwell-type atmosphere,” Rep. Tom O’Dea said. “I am very enthusiastic and I don’t skate.”
One tent will be used by two employees, with one operating the Zamboni and another checking skaters into the rink, according to O’Dea. The other tent will be used to house the Zamboni.
Commissioner John Kriz made the motion to approve the rink, which proponents say has been in the works for a decade.
“I think that an ice rink would be very positive public accessory, providing healthy exercise and socialization opportunities to all members of the community,” Kriz said, “which would be an enhancement of the quality of life for our town.”
The rink is expected to be erected on the site in midDecember and taken down in February, but the length of the season will be dependent on fundraising, O’Dea
said. The total operating costs are expected to hover around $175,000 and the project itself needs another $100,000, according to O’Dea.
The rink will be able to open in mid-December once
enough donations are received and Eversource, the town’s energy provider, can hook up the electricity. O’Dea said the actual setup and removal should take just a few days.
The chiller and equipment were purchased from Hunt Club of Westport for $75,000 and are currently stored on town property.
The effort has raised $110,000 and is expected to raise money via advertising, admission fees, donations, fundraising events and naming rights. O’Dea said the season pass would cost around $500 and a daily pass around $10.
In September, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan suggested that some of the $6 million the town is receiving from the American Rescue Funds could go toward the rink.
The Parks and Recreation Commission approved “family-friendly” advertising for four-foot dasherboards earlier this month, which are expected to reap around $20,000 to $25,000 a season to be put toward operating costs. “There are a number of people who are looking to purchase those dasherboards for their ads,” O’Dea said.
In 2020, rink proponents approached the Parks and Recreation Commission to put the rink on other park locations, with the most controversial one being Kiwanis Park. Parks and Recreation Commissioner Gene Goodman thought the park at 77 Old Norwalk Road was the best location because it already has a lodge. Neighbors objected, saying the 13.8-acre park was too small and neighbors’ houses were too close.
Kriz called Waveny Park a “great location” since it “not obtrusive” and “the effects on this site are fairly minimal.”