On Sunday, Oct. 22, area residents are encouraged to gather at Branford Hills Park to celebrate the town's newest public park during a volunteer-powered free party, featuring food trucks, music, sports and dancing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organized by volunteers from the Branford Hills area and co-sponsored by Branford Parks and Recreation, "Party at the Branford Hills Park" will take place on 13 acres of newly fenced fields and playgrounds on the site of the former Branford Hills Elementary School on Jefferson Road.

Branford Hills Elementary School was built in 1955 and closed as a town school in 1991. In 2015, the town appropriated $560,00 for the demolition of the school and First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove said the expectation was to eventually turn the property in a park.

The school building was demolished in July of 2016. In April 2017, Branford Housing Authority (BHA) and developer Beacon Communities (MA) asked the town to consider possibly allowing the former Branford Hills School parcel to become the site of a three-story, 79-unit building for a new, expanded Parkside Village One low-income housing complex; potentially followed by a second building for a new, expanded Parkside Village Two. On April 26, the Representative Town Meeting's Branford Hills Property Usage Committee determined to take no action on the BHA/Beacon request, taking the proposed plan off the table. The committee took into consideration feedback from neighbors in the district who wanted to have it designated as a park, input from Parkside Village One residents seeking remain at the complex's existing location on South Montowese Street; and needing time to allow the town's Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) to be updated with the best use of the former school site (see the story here). In May 2017, the former Branford Hills school property was formally designated as a new park for the Town of Branford.

Since then, the town has added a youth soccer regulation-sized field, spruced up the former basketball area and revitalized the school swing set as well as slide and zipline playscape component which had been added to the property by Parks and Recreation several years ago, said Parks and Recreation Director Alex Palluzzi.

"The basketball court looks brand new and it really isn't; we resurfaced the asphalt and painted the poles and backboards, and added new rims and new nets," said Palluzzi. "What is new is the 'Fibar' [playground surface mulch] under the swings and the slide areas. We put about 130 yards in; about 65 yards in each play area, to make it safe."

The play areas are downhill from a girls' softball field, which has been in use as a town recreational playing field for many years and could also be used as a Little League field, if needed, said Palluzzi. Where the school once stood is now flat grassy land that can be converted to increase the current regulation-size youth soccer field to create a larger field, if needed.

Work to renovate the park, playing fields and open space, including adding fencing and other materials including bringing in a portable sanitary toilet unit, took place over the past months; but residents have been enjoying coming out to use the open space all along. The park provides expansive open public space in an area otherwise surrounded by neighborhoods made up of a mix of single family homes, condominiums and apartments.

In a press release from the group of neighborhood volunteers organizing the Oct. 22, event, the park is described as, "nestled between densely populated neighborhoods and picturesque, accessible hiking trails that lead to the Farm River, preserved by the Branford Land Trust."

The press release encourages area residents to "...join friends and neighbors as we celebrate this new neighborhood treasure [and] join volunteers from the Branford Hills area, co-sponsored by Branford Parks and Recreation, to celebrate all that our diverse community has to offer."

Learn more about the Oct. 22 celebration at the volunteer group's Facebook event page here  or call 203-415-5613 to volunteer, make donations or participate.

Reporters Note: This story was updated to provide additional information leading to "no action" taken by the April 26 committee. Additionally, the story was updated to note the new park includes a portable sanitary toilet unit.