Browne presents MRA proposal

#MiddleburyCT #MRA

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Parks and Recreation Chairwoman Carolanne Browne presented the results of two years of work by the Middlebury Recreation Area (MRA) study group to the Middlebury Board of Selectmen at their February 9, 2026, meeting. Her presentation has raised a number of questions about the project itself and how the study group conducted its business.

Among the issues are that Town Clerk Brigitte Bessette confirmed the study group filed no minutes of its meetings with her office. Also, bids were not solicited for an architect to draw up the plans. Instead, the town engaged Jacunski and Humes, the firm that had just completed work on the Middlebury Police headquarters. Save Historic Middlebury is questioning demolition of the cottage before its historic value is carefully considered. And, although Browne stated comments about the MRA on Facebook were considered by the committee, it appears input from the general public was not solicited during the two years the committee worked on the project.

The project the committee proposed includes replacing the cottage with two covered pavilions connected to a patio and building a new garage and a guard shelter that allows beach visibility. Browne said everything would be handicapped accessible, including the beach, which is not currently accessible.

The proposed plan allows handicapped access by a paved path to the beach that would be wide enough for emergency vehicles and would allow them access to both the beach and the pavilion areas. The garage, which would replace the current storage shed, would include a first aid area.

Browne said the estimated cost for the upgrades and additions is $580,000, and there was an option to complete the project in stages. She said the basketball and bocce ball courts and the bathrooms at the top would remain as is. She did not mention the tennis courts. Work on them was previously quoted at $300,000.

Discussing the existing cottage, Browne said repairs to bring it up to code would cost a minimum of $270,000 while replacing the cottage with two pavilions would likely cost $190,000. She said the proposed pavilions would be open to Middlebury residents and their guests while the cottage is no longer accessible to the public. The garage at a cost of $233,000, guard house at $67,000 and patio stairs at $39,000 bring the estimated total project cost to $581,627.75, which includes a 10% contingency.

The bathrooms present a challenge because a septic system cannot be used. Browne said the committee is in contact with the Torrington Health Department, which advised them the bathrooms up top use a holding tank that may need to be removed and replaced. The proposed project does not include this cost. Portable bathrooms have been discussed for the lower location.

Browne said she would need to know what the selectmen want to do. Then the proposal would be taken to the residents of the town to make a decision on what to do.

Study group members were from the Parks and Recreation Commission, Public Works Department, Board of Finance, MRA, town engineer and two Middlebury residents unaffiliated with any board or commission. As of January 21, 2026, members were: Browne (Parks and Recreation Commission), Betsy Anderson (Parks and Recreation Director), Mike Roach (Parks and Recreation Commission), John Calabrese (Town Engineer), Nicholas Sidorick (Public Works Director), Peter Vaccarelli (Assistant Public Works Director), Brendan Browne (Board of Finance and Planning & Zoning Commission), Kevin Dawes (Public Works Department), Ed St. John (Resident), and Jim Kelly (Resident). (Brendan Browne is the spouse of Carolanne Browne.)