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NORWALK, Conn. ? The Norwalk Daily Voice accepts signed, original letters to the editor. Please send letters to norwalk@dailyvoice.com.
To the Editor:
The Peace and Service Committee of Wilton Monthly Meeting of Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) met recently and agreed that Oak Hills Park golfing should not be expanded with a driving range. The Park has already almost exclusively benefited the golfing community for over 20 years with a large taxpayer subsidized debt ($3M) to build the restaurant and renovate facilities.
It is time to shift priorities and to convert Oak Hills Park into a multi-use park that serves the entire community, not only golfers. We believe that the park can and should be re-designed to accommodate a number of other more general public uses, such as:
• An area for a community garden (for those who live too far from or haven't been able to avail themselves of Fodor Farm because of the long waiting list for plots).
• Walking and jogging trails for people who want to stay in shape or enjoy the outdoors. The area where the driving range is proposed is perfect for nature trails, and it would be extremely expensive to blast large faces and fill large valley areas merely to accommodate a driving range.
• A picnic area and playground facilities similar to those built in Cranbury Park not so long ago.
• A level playing/soccer field.
• A dog run.
• Retain a 9-hole golf course, so that present users not only lose nothing but gain by the expansion of community uses.
New revenues could be gained from charging fees for community gardeners and having a competitive bid process for a new restaurant in that location. We believe it would be in our community’s greatest interest to diversify and expand the uses of this public space to as many citizens as possible.
Diane Keefe
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