SOUTHWICK – The Parks and Recreation Commission will decide Tuesday what to do about Whalley Park on the night of the fireworks.
The Commission met for an emergency meeting Thursday at the request of Commissioner John Whalley, who approached the Board of Selectmen last week because bylaws do not allow for the closing of the park now that it is open. This posed a problem for the July 24 fireworks, which will be set off from Whalley Park.
Board Chairman and Rotary Club member Joseph Deedy was concerned that people would go to Whalley Park to watch the fireworks, then go home instead of parking at the Southwick Days carnival at the Southwick Recreation Center and enjoying the entertainment there.
Deedy was worried the open park would direct traffic away from the carnival if people could park there. The other concern, said Whalley, was that if the park was open and 150 cars or more were parked for the fireworks, the Commission would have to rent police to conduct traffic and port-a-potties because bylaws consider it a special event if there are more than 150 vehicles.
Whalley suggested they could charge $10 per car if they opened the whole park to offset the cost of the rentals and police, or they could limit the number of cars.
“What if we cap it at 149 cars,” said Whalley. “And you could charge people who enter on foot.”
Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Kelly Magni said they would just about break even if the park was open for parking.
Deedy said July 24 was qpproaching too quickly to make a big change.
“It’s too close to the deadline to move things,” said Deedy. “In all honesty I’m all for moving it next year.”
Deedy approached the Commisssion several months ago about having the entire Southwick Days event at Whalley Park, but it wasn’t open yet.
“Now here we are three weeks before the event,” he said. “The following year you can have it and move it.”
Magni said they could move the location of firing closer to the front of the park because the radius required around the firing would mean fewer cars could park there. Whalley then suggested purchasing larger fireworks so the radius would increase.
“A 10-inch shell needs a 1,000 foot radius,” said Magni.
Deedy said that would solve the problem of diverting parking away from the carnival but still allow for foot traffic for spectators who want to watch the fireworks from the park.
Whalley said he would take some measurements and the Commission would make a decision at its meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
