Opinion: Fairfield Needs Penfield Pavilion

Opinion piece posted 1/19/15 on Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau's Facebook page:

 

Fairfield has five beaches along our coastline – Jennings, Penfield, South Pine Creek, Sasco and Southport. These beaches are available to all our residents. The Parks and Recreation Department has a comprehensive plan for these assets. Their vision is to provide a complete range of alternatives for our residents. Pine Creek Beach is the smallest and provides the fewest features. Southport and Sasco beaches are larger and provide a minimum in amenities such as a food truck concession for beach goers. Jennings beach is the largest stretching from the Marina with fishing, kayaking and boating to the private Fairfield Beach Club. Jennings provides services and rest rooms along with a modest pavilion. Penfield provides the most in services with a full service Pavilion including large covered deck, lockers & changing rooms, expanded concession stand, ADA walk ways for easy access and ADA bathrooms.

Fairfield’s most dramatic and compelling asset is our coastline, beaches, harbors, marina and fishing pier. These assets should be shared and enjoyed by all residents. Penfield 1 makes Fairfield unique with a one of a kind facility. It adds value to our town.

For the last thirty years, our town has enjoyed both Penfield 1 and Penfield 2 (the Jacky Durrell Pavilion). Penfield 1 was a private beach club until purchased by the town. Penfield 2 was built in the 1980’s recognizing the need even back then for a second option. Penfield 2 is not heated and is only used during the warmer months. It has a capacity for approx. 125 guests. It just meets the minimum for ADA accessibility. Most importantly, it is not open to the public and is only available to those people or groups that pay to rent it. It has no shaded deck. It is not easy for seniors or the disabled to access.