A church carnival severely damaged a public school grounds, causing controversy in Greenwich.
St. Rox’s Church has hosted an annual feast for nearly 100 years. After the geothermal system was installed in 2009, they decommissioned the Hamilton Avenue School field, preventing carnival-like activities.
After a series of expert reviews, the town has authorized the church to return to the scene, but many are now complaining about the damage left behind.
Images shared on Greenwich Public School News 12 show a before and after of what the field looks like. Fields that were once green have now turned yellow, and traces of carnival rides are still imprinted on the ground.
Previous.Photo credit: Greenwich Public Schools
rear.Photo credit: Greenwich Public Schools
Residents of Greenwich are frustrated that the town has approved a feast at the church because it could threaten classified technology installed under a field in 2009.
“I think what we have to do at this point is focus on fixing the damage and making sure it never happens again. I think that should be the common goal of all taxpayers. This is especially about making sure that taxpayers are not harmed, their money is spent,” said Mark Cordic of Greenwich RTM District 9.
A church parishioner involved in the process of returning the feast to its location this year said it had hired an expert to assess the risks, after which the town approved and permitted the church to use the field.
“The plant biologist wrote down exactly what we needed to put back into the field as soon as it was finished. And it’s very simple: grass, soil and water,” St. Rock parishioner Pat Kapiari said.
News 12 has reached out to Greenwich Public Schools for comment and said the Parks and Recreation Department and Facilities Department are assessing the situation.