WILTON — Wilton is moving forward with parks and recreation facility renovations funded by a $100,000 donation from Judith Bjorn.
The Wilton Select Board on Tuesday authorized Parks and Recreation Department Director Frank Donald to spend up to $38,600 on renovations for the basketball courts at Kineowatha Park.
Donald was authorized to spend the funds on purchases of poles, backboards and paving for the court.
Donald anticipates they will enlist students at Foster Career and Technical Education Center to build the six poles. The town has previously enlisted Foster Tech students for other projects.
Donald said this is a plus for the students, town and community.
For the town, it saves quite a lot of money, Donald said in an interview. And it allows the students to get some practical experience, take on different kinds of projects, he added.
Donald said that it gives the students “a sense of pride in the community.”
Bjorn donated $100,000 to the town’s parks and recreation department in December.
Bjorn told the town that she wanted the money “to be used to support your expensive programs for youth and families” and “enhance and continue (the parks and recreation department’s) excellent programs.”
The parks and recreation department then conducted an online survey to gauge what community members wanted the town to spend Bjorn’s donation on.
Donald said that of the 87 responses, 29 voted to renovate the courts, and 27 voted to build a pavilion in the center of Kineowatha Park.
Other options included maintenance funds for upkeep on the disc golf course and lighting for the tennis and pickle ball courts. Some respondents also suggested work to improve the steep hill leading to the beach at Kineowatha — though Donald said there are some complications with that idea.
Donald currently has full approval for spending on the courts — barring some limits on paving.
He anticipates the new poles and backboards will be installed by late May and hopes the paving will be completed by the end of August.
Donald will return to the board in the future with solidified ideas and quotes for work on the pavilion.
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