Enfield has Gov. Ned Lamont’s approval to buy land near the prison for sports

Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation Friday that gives Enfield the opportunity to buy 14.5 acres on Shaker Road. Bill SB-460 allows the Commissioner of Corrections to transfer to the city the vacant lot overseen by the Carl Robinson Medium Security Correctional Institution. According to the bill, the cost of the land will be equal to the fair market value of the property, plus the administrative costs of making such a conveyance.

Officials said they anticipate assessments will be low and the city won’t spend a large amount of money on the acreage.

Rep. Carol Hall, R-Enfield, said it’s a property Enfield officials have been interested in acquiring for many years. She remembers it being a topic of conversation in the 1990s when she served on the City Council.

The ground is opposite the town’s Shaker Recreation Complex, where the Enfield Football Association holds programs and games. Sports enthusiasts and groups said the community needs to expand its commitment to sports and recreational activities given the growing interest in athletic programs.

Enfield Football Association president Jeffrey Rousseau said last month that the program’s membership had grown quite a bit and the association had made strong efforts in other areas.

In 2019, there were about 750 kids playing football in Enfield, he said.

“The number of children participating has steadily increased over the past five years,” Rousseau said. “We now have about 1,100 kids playing soccer in our programs.”

That’s a 47 percent increase, so it’s important to have more fields, he said.