City, airport sign park lease

Posted 9/1/15

Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson brought her wallet, but she didn’t have a dollar bill. Dr. Kathleen Hittner was dressed in white with matching heels. And Victoria Tsimikas, scheduler …

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City, airport sign park lease

Posted

Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson brought her wallet, but she didn’t have a dollar bill. Dr. Kathleen Hittner was dressed in white with matching heels. And Victoria Tsimikas, scheduler for Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, brought along her two young children, Katie and George.

All joined Friday morning at the newly completed $7.5 million Winslow Park softball and soccer fields off Airport Road.

Unlike the original Winslow Park, now being cleared for a relocation of Main Avenue, this new park looks out on Green Airport with a fisheye view of the runway, hangars and terminal. The fields provide a sweeping panorama of the heavens and the mega-structure of the CCRI campus on the distant horizon.

The park is the new home for the Apponaug Girls Softball league and the Warwick Firefighters Club, which the Rhode Island Airport Corporation relocated as part of the project to extend the main runway to 8,700 feet and give airlines greater capability to offer nonstop flights to Europe and the West Coast.

Although some league play has already taken place on the fields and work remains to be done to complete the signalized intersection of Airport Road and the maintenance garage service road that is the park access, play has started. Friday’s occasion was to formalize the arrangement with the official signing of the agreement leasing the fields to the city for $1 a year.

Arriving at this point has involved a long process that helped elect Vella-Wilkinson and at one point had angry Lakeshore Drive neighborhood residents shouting at city and airport officials at an outdoor assembly where the fields stand today. RIAC’s initial plan was to use the area cleared of homes because they were in the high noise contour for corporate hangars. Then running for office, Vella-Wilkinson opposed the hangars. Later, as councilwoman, she led the charge to legally contest the runway expansion project, and then was instrumental in drafting the memorandum of understanding that opened the way for the longer runway in return for assurances for the city, including a new Winslow Park.

Mayor Scott Avedisian spoke of Vella-Wilkinson’s leadership in reaching an agreement and credited Hittner, then chair of the RIAC board, with the “big vision” of bringing the parties together.

Avedisian said Hittner, then president of Miriam Hospital and now Rhode Island health insurance commissioner, was suited for the job, having dealt with issues of an institution in the midst of a residential neighborhood. Drawing the comparison, he said Green is in the middle of the city and had to address concerns and issues from neighbors on all sides. He said she “believed this project could resolve all outstanding issues.”

Hittner, who didn’t address the gathering, was excited for the fields and the opportunity they represent for young people. She quipped that she was dressed in white and ready to slide into first base if it hadn’t been for the heels. And Kelly Fredericks, RIAC president and CEO, maintains the complex should be named for Hittner. Legislation to do that never made it through the General Assembly more than a year ago.

Vella-Wilkinson called the park “magnificent.” Asked about air quality, which was raised as a concern by some who argued it shouldn’t have been built so near to the airport, Vella-Wilkinson pointed out that air quality is tested and it has not been found to be of concern. Still, she would have rather seen the fields built at the Knight Campus of CCRI, as had been proposed but was shot down by the Board of Governors for Higher Education.

“This may be the second choice,” she said of the location, “but by no means is it second rate.”

She said that playing fields have a record of enhancing the property values of neighboring homeowners, and she imagined Winslow Park would do that for the Lakeside area.

“The neighborhood should not be fearful,” she said.

Money was also a concern to Vella-Wilkinson. After the signing of the lease, she was reminded the city was to have handed over a dollar. She fished through her purse to no avail. Patti Goldstein, RIAC vice president of marketing, spotted her dilemma and handed over a bill, which Vella-Wilkinson in turn gave to Fredericks with a lot of laughter.

It was the neighborhood that Tsimikas wanted to show off to her kids. Tsimikas serves as a coach for her son’s soccer team. They will be playing on the fields. And close by is Wilbur Avenue, where Tsimikas grew up as a kid. For her, Winslow Park is coming home.

 

 

Comments

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  • dickcoutu

    I hate to be a 'Debbie Downer' but I have a few questions and comments:

    1. Where is the overflow of automobiles going to park when the two parking lots and on-street parking spots are full? Remember now, we have both soccer and softball combined at one location, not like at the old soccer and softball fields. All it will take is one softball (or soccer) tournament to

    create a parking dilemma.

    They will not be able to park along Rowe and Wells Avenue since these two side streets no longer have access to the new Winslow Park.

    2. Where will the softball teams practice when their game is scheduled next? This is especially true during tournament time. This should be interesting. Will they be allowed to practice on the soccer fields? I doubt it. Also, they will not be able to return to the old ball fields since they have all been dismantled and are no longer there.

    3. What about distraction from the commercial airliners (on both landing and taking off), especially when cars are entering and exiting from Winslow Park. It is without a doubt there will clearly be 'fender benders' on the only entrance and exit (300 Airport Rd.) to the new ball fields.

    I hesitate to agree with Vella-Wilkinson regarding her comment about air quality; by all means it should be of great concern! I was at the new complex on Friday, August 14th between 4 PM and 5 PM when the pride softball teams were holding tryouts for 2016. I was there approximately 30 to 40 minutes. While I was there both Condor and TACV Airlines had landed and I could smell both jet fuel fumes and the burning of tires (during touch down). The wind was not favorable blowing from west to east across the six softball and three soccer fields. What's next, selling dust masks and respirators at the concession stand?

    Comment: I don't quite understand the need to expand the main runway to 8700 feet when both Condor and TACV are currently using the existing main runway for both take-offs and landings. What am I missing?

    Footnote: Oh, the new Main Ave. which is currently under construction looks great passing through my home where I once lived, directly across from softball field #5. Now I can rest now knowing RIAC or FAA didn't lie to me when they said they needed my home to relocate Main Ave.

    On a positive note, congratulations and best of luck at your new home. REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT THE OLD WINSLOW PARK...

    END

    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Report this

  • PaulHuff

    You sound like a "Debbie downer" and a NIMBY all at the same time.

    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    NIMBY does Dallas?

    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    The ballfields are the typical result of the lack of homework by Vella-wilkinson......no studies done on noise level and toxic fumes. Lake Shore Dr. neighbor destroyed. Traffic on Airport Rd will only get worse and parking will be a nightmare.

    Like usual a complete disaster in the making thanks to Vella aka the fluff doll.

    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Report this

  • RichardLangseth

    A soccer mom told me that parking is a nightmare. How long will it be before a kid tangles with a car? And I am not sure about the air quality comment. From what I understand the monitoring station is reporting some serious air quality issues.

    Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Report this

  • dickcoutu

    I agree with you 'Reality'. Vella-Wilkinson didn't do her homework on this one. I communicated with her a long time ago and she always thought there were 4 instead of 6 ball softball fields. Obviously at the time she never drove through the old Winslow Park.

    Back then (maybe 2 or 3 years ago) I was trying to impress upon her the number of teams who participate in tournaments and how a 'cluster #$@%' it was.

    To 'PaulHuff'. Thanks. I'm telling it like it is. I know... I used to live across from the old instructional field five (the smallest of the six fields) and main entrance to the old Winslow Park since 1953. Again, I'm telling it like it is. I've seen it all.

    Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Report this

  • dickcoutu

    To RichardLangseth. Regarding my comment regarding air quality, again, I used to live near the entrance to the old Winslow Park for over 62 years. I have never smelled anything quite as strong as I did from my August 14th visit to the new ball fields. I am not sure if it was just a coincidence but for the sake of all who visit this complex, I hope the air quality isn't as bad as I had experienced on August 14th.

    The odor from the tires when the commercial airliners touch down is just terrible!

    Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Report this