AMHERST - It appears as though an outdoor rink in the West Highlands part of town could be a reality this winter.
Amherst has agreed to enter into discussions with the Amherst Lions Club about converting the tennis courts on Cornwall Avenue into an outdoor rink, but council wants a few concerns addressed by the club before giving it the green light.
"We need to know if this is a project of the Lions Club or is it just one person acting on his own," Coun. George Baker said during a committee-of-the-whole meeting earlier this week.
In a letter to the town, Walter Jones, who is heading a club committee looking at the feasibility of establishing an outdoor rink, asked the town for use of the tennis courts as an outdoor rink. Temporary boards would be installed around the perimeter of the fence that surrounds the courts while the fire department would be asked to flood the property so ice could be made.
Baker thinks an outdoor rink is a good idea, but wants assurances Jones has the support of the club.
Jones said he is pushing the project, but it does have the club's support.
"It was voted on at the club and passed so I'd assume that means it's a club project," Jones said.
If the plan goes ahead, Community and Economic Development director Roger MacIsaac said it would be up to the Lions to handle maintenance and ensure those using the facility have proper equipment.
The Lions would also be responsible for liability insurance on the property and it would be their responsibility to make sure the property is secure when it's not in use.
Concerns were raised by Operational Services director Ben Pitman and fire chief Bill Crossman about the use of an adjacent fire hydrant, with both indicating they'd be willing to sit down with members of the Lions club to put a plan together.
If the project is successful, Jones said the Lions could consider establishing a permanent facility somewhere in the community. He originally proposed a patch of land near the Lion Cecil Small field recently purchased by the club, but said it can go anywhere.
"It doesn't have to be there. I thought it would be good because we just purchased that piece of land. There are other places in town it could go," he said, adding a survey he conducted plus an online poll in the Amherst Daily News suggest support is there for an outdoor rink.
He also stressed the project will not go ahead without volunteers, adding the club is holding a public meeting Nov. 4 at 7:45 p.m.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
