Might Public Works Complex be Relocated to Raymark Ballfield Site?

Last Wednesday and Thursday, a major step began anew in the community discussion on what to do with the former Raymark ball field after the remediation of contamination on the site is completed.

This, as consultants paid with federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant funds came to Stratford and met with residents, business owners and selected town officials at several sites and times to review some options and concepts for re-use of the contaminated Raymark ball field area.

According to a comprehensive EPA report on all Raymark contamination sites in Stratford, the former Raybestos Memorial Field - known as Operable Unit 4 (OU4) - is located north of the former Raymark facility just over the Metro-North railroad tracks. It encompasses approximately 14 acres. 

The former ball field area “was historically used as a gravel pit operation, then as a disposal area for industrial wastes. Contaminants found include asbestos, lead, arsenic, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

“In 1992, the EPA installed a security fence around the area, installed a temporary soil cover (6 inches minimum thickness), and sampled and removed drummed wastes at the ball field. This effort restricted access to the area as well as to the contamination found within the soil.

“In 1999, the EPA performed a comprehensive remedial investigation that included test pits, soil borings, monitoring well installation, an electromagnetic (EM) survey and ground penetrating radar to determine the presence, location and character of buried wastes. A remedial investigation report was completed in August 1999. 

“The report concludes that fill and natural soils throughout the [ball field] study area are contaminated with asbestos, lead, barium, zinc, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and semi-volatile organic compounds. In most cases, the contamination is higher in the subsurface soils than in the surface soils.” 

The former ball field area is bordered by residential properties to the north and northwest, notably Patterson Avenue, Clinton Avenue and Cottage Place; by town owned properties including the public works complex and animal control facility on Frog Pond Lane, plus a commercial property, the Frog Pond restaurant to the northeast and, an inactive brownfield industrial facility that abuts the ball field area to the south and southwest with vehicular access to Longbrook Avenue.

One of the bolder options presented last week for reuse of the former Raymark ball field site would see the relocation of the entire public works operation from its present site fronting East Main Street to part of the area where the ball field once existed and including the metal plating factory site. 

This would accomplish several things, said presenters Michael Taylor and Elaine Richardson of the consulting firm Vita Nuova LLC.

• First, it would give public works an opportunity to create a more functional operation instead of the piecemeal building and grounds operation currently in use.
• In addition, it would give public works vehicles greater access options and relieve the use of Patterson Avenue as the main thoroughfare by which public works vehicles access the current public works site.
• Third, it would open up for highest and best use the retail potential of the current public works parcel, which sits directly on East Main Street and has the highest traffic and visibility potential for any future retail/commercial development.

Stratford Patch has posted the entire 14-page presentation, entitled “Raymark Ball Field, Reuse Planning,” in PDF format. Click on the file to see the report. 

Of course, any proposed re-use of the ball field property is contingent on successful remediation of the contamination, which could be years and millions of dollars in the future.

Next, Stratford Patch reviews the presentation and remarks made by consultants on April 7 at the Birdseye Municipal Complex.