NEWS

Downtown Merchants Association Says Y Stay Downtown

The Westport Downtown Merchants Association called again this week for the establishment of a new Westport/Weston YMCA facility at Baron's South.

The association's stance puts it at odds with YMCA officials, who announced plans several months ago to build a new headquarters at Camp Mahackeno, which the Y already owns and where it has operated a summer camp for many years.

Baron's South is owned by the town and is currently the site of the Westport Center for Senior Activities. YMCA officials had initially pushed for a new site at Baron's South, but found little support from town officials at that time.

The merchants association statement on Wednesday said, "In 1999, the YMCA, with much fanfare, presented to the Town of Westport their plan for a new YMCA, a new beginning, at a new site - Baron's South. Much time and money had been spent by the Y in determining that this was the best possible site for the Y's future needs. At that time, the Westport Downtown Merchants Association publicly spoke in favor of keeping the YMCA in a Downtown location.

"The vitality and safety of Downtown Westport is extremely important to us and to our customers. We have lost movie theaters, have a limited range of restaurants, and a vastly reduced evening life. If the Y were to move out of the Downtown, we would lose the last semblance of evening life and added vitality in the Downtown area.

"We have also consistently raised concerns about the dangers of a congested pick-up/drop-off area at the Y, both on Church Lane and at the rear entrance to the Y, where children often run, unescorted, between cars, and where a long line of cars on Church Lane could prevent Police or Fire Dept. responsiveness. We are also concerned about Y-filled congestion in the Baldwin lot and Main Street during busy shopping times.

"As a result of these factors, we believe Baron's South is the ideal location for the YMCA.

"We believed in the plan of '99. Attaching a modern Y, to a very successful and active senior center would be a win-win for the Town, which would benefit from added revenues to its tax base from the sale of the Y's current downtown building. Much has also been made of preserving open spaces. A Y move to Baron's South would encourage more people to use the trails and remaining open area there, while leaving valuable open space at peace at Camp Mahackeno. In fact, the plan of '99 called for use of only 5 acres of almost 23 acres.

"We urge the YMCA Board of Directors to rethink their Mahackeno plan. We urge them to revisit their plan of '99, which was their first and best instinct, and not cave in to an arbitrary Administration decision, which has caused tumultuous disagreements among a huge number of well-meaning and good people in the Town of Westport. The Downtown Merchants Association strongly believes that the vitality of Westport will be best maintained by a YMCA in the Downtown area. As such, we support the relocation of the YMCA to the Baron's South property, the ideal location which will decrease traffic congestion and maintain prosperity for the YMCA, Downtown Westport and for the Town as a whole.