The 260-acre Batterson Park, owned by Hartford but located in Farmington and New Britain, has been closed since 2015. The state allocated $10 million to clean up the park’s 165-arce pond, remove invasive plants, bring in additional sand for the beach and replace the crumbling concession building and bath house.
Hartford public works was to do the work and the city would partner with Farmington and New Britain to maintain it, together with the nonprofit Batterson Park Conservancy once renovations were complete. While initially scheduled to reopen as early as this year, work was delayed and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter eventually called for the state to take over the park.
The state legislature in June tapped the Department of Energy and Environmental Protectionto study recreation and redevelopment options and the feasibility of public-private partnerships for the park. The final report is due to the state’s environment committee by Jan. 15, 2024
The state is now planning on gathering input from residents on what to do with the property. Public comment sections are planned in Hartford, Farmington, and New Britain.
The first public comment hearing will be held in Farmington on Monday in town council chambers. The second hearing will be held at the Hartford Public Library on Wednesday at the downtown library branch at 500 Main St. The third hearing will be Thursday in the New Britain Police Community Room at 10 Chestnut St. All of the meetings will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be accessible on Zoom. Click here to read the entire article.