Coast Guard fields plenty of questions on park plan

New London - Barbara van der Lyke's family has lived near Riverside Park since 1886. She still lives in the north end of the city where the 18-acre park is located along the Thames River.

She is also a neighbor to the 103-acre Coast Guard Academy, which wants to buy 10.25 acres of the city-owned park so it can expand its campus.

And she's a little perplexed at the outrage from some residents over the Coast Guard's proposal to buy the land and their unwillingness to hear what the Coast Guard has to say.

"It's a frustration," van der Lyke said Wednesday night, following a contentious meeting between residents and Coast Guard officials at the Public Library. "There are people who don't know how the park is used; have probably never been to the park before this."

Van der Lyke, wife of former City Clerk Clark van der Lyke, appeared to be the only person at the meeting who wanted to hear the Coast Guard's reasons for wanting the land.

"I think we should give them an opportunity to express their needs,'' she said. "There are pluses and minuses for both sides. I think we should hear them. I'm just asking for cooler heads to listen."

But nearly all of the other 24 people in library's community room appeared to oppose selling any portion of the park at any price and peppered Cmdr. G. Scott Gesele, the academy's facilities engineer, with questions.

"Why is it in the City of New London's interest to sell the park?'' asked City Councilor Michael Passero. "No one has answered that question.''

"When did your needs supersede our needs?'' asked Kathleen Mitchell.

Others wanted to know why the academy was going to "fence out" city residents; why the academy can't share athletic facilities with New London schools; and why the academy won't use land it already owns north of the campus?

The meeting got off to a rocky start when Gesele said he would be available to answer questions individually but would not be addressing the group. He said the format was chosen to give people a one-on-one chance to ask questions.

But those in the room demanded Gesele address the group and provide answers for everyone to hear.

"I'm sorry you don't like the format, but we don't think it's appropriate for us to stand here and try to influence your opinion,'' said David M. Santos, the academy's communications director.

After about 15 minutes, Gesele acquiesced.

He said the Coast Guard has outgrown its 103-acre campus and needs more room for a professional development/shipboard simulator center, a diversity/cultural center and athletic fields.

The academy owns 8 acres on the north end of campus, where a day care center is located on 3.5 acres and an indoor shooting range is proposed on the rest of the lot. Although the online database Visionappraisal.com lists the U.S. government owning 25 acres, Gesele said it is a mistake and there are only 8 acres. The website also lists 11 acres of open space on Farnsworth Street, but the academy's athletic fields are located there, he said. He added that the city is correcting the mistakes.

Gesele said it would be difficult to share athletic fields with city schools because all teams would be using them at the same time. The Coast Guard offers facilities to the city any time they are not being used.

The Coast Guard also cannot use federal money to build on private land, so it must own the property, he said.

A fence and mandatory buffer zones are required around all military property, he said, but the Coast Guard could discuss the type of fencing with the neighbors.

The city has obtained an appraisal for the 10.25 acres at $2.5 million. The Coast Guard's appraisal is $2.4 million. City councilors have said if an offer is accepted, it will be put before the voters in a special referendum.

Another informational session will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the library, and Gesele invited the group to a Sept. 18 open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the academy.

The Coast Guard is expected to make a formal proposal at the Sept. 20 City Council meeting.

k.edgecomb@theday.com