Cornwall Park and Rec hosts forum on future of Foote Fields

CORNWALL — Residents gathered at the Cornwall Library on Thursday, Nov. 13, to offer ideas for renovating Foote Fields, a public park on Route 4 that will soon regain space currently occupied by the Little Guild.

Foote Fields, located on Furnace Brook Road, includes two soccer fields, a baseball field, a pavilion, a pickleball court, a parking area and storage shed.

For more than a year, the Little Guild has used a small area near the road as a temporary hub while its main facility has been under construction. With the animal shelter planning to vacate the site in winter 2026, town officials are looking ahead to how the property can be improved once the fields are fully available again.

Park and Recreation chair Michelle Shipp opened the forum with general information. She said getting approvals to install a permanent septic tank for bathrooms “is unlikely” and there are restrictions in place for adding buildings to the land. “There is a port-a-potty there,” she noted.

Shipp said an area near the pickleball court was leveled by the Little Guild and the location would be ideal for a dedicated basketball court. She said people have also suggested a playground, walking/running path, a foot bridge connecting Foote Fields to Jewell Street and additional parking.

Residents in attendance proposed more ideas, which included modifying the baseball field to Little League dimensions, putting a fence around the pickleball court, adding a pool, ice rink, skate park, climbing wall, swings, wi-fi and community gardens.

Barbecue stations were suggested, but Shipp noted there is no trash collection presently.

Cynthia Foote was in attendance. Her family donated the property to the town. She suggested better signage. “I want to see ‘Foote Fields’ somewhere,” she said.

Shipp said the next step is to organize the suggestions into a plan and present it to the Board of Selectman. She also asked those willing to support the effort to indicate how they can help, be it their time, money or skills.

“It’s a beautiful spot and it has so much potential,” said Shipp, who can be reached at park.recreation@cornwallct.gov.