NORTH HAVEN

The North Haven Fair Association has come up with a five-year plan to expand its facilities and meet the request of people who frequent the North Haven Fairgrounds, as presented to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) at its Jan. 5 meeting.

Jeanne Lewis, one of the officials with the fairground’s association, said that the association is looking to install additional structures that will give people more places to sit, eat, and enjoy other activities at the North Haven Fairgrounds, which is located at 290 Washington Avenue.

At the recent meeting, Lewis presented a map to the PZC outlining five structures that make up the expansion of the fairground’s facilities.

Lewis began at the main entrance to the property on the west side of the fairgrounds. At the “direct right” of the entrance, Lewis said the association is looking to construct to a 16-foot-by-20-foot timber-made stage with a ceiling that would replace the existing gazebo and “give more place for the bands that currently come in and play and the acts that perform during the fair and at other functions during the fair,” Lewis said. She specified that “more place” means greater space for musicians’ gear that the gazebo cannot accommodate.

Moving further east at the property, the association is proposing a timber-made open pavilion, approximately 32 feet by 90 feet, between the timber stage and the original location of the aforementioned gazebo.

“This will be a place for people to meet to sit, to eat, to have a birthday party—whatever it is they are going to do there,” said Lewis.

The association is proposing a third pavilion consisting of the same materials and dimensions that would also serve the same purpose on the north side of the fairgrounds.

Heading south of the fairgrounds, the association is proposing the renovation of the red barn building, which is one of the original structures of the fairgrounds that was constructed in the early 1940s. Lewis said that structure “has seen better days” and “needs a little bit of help.” The proposal is to expand its dimensions to make it a 60-foot-by-117-foot structure and make it look similar to other “open buildings" currently at the fairgrounds, added Lewis.

There is also a proposal for another open building further south on the fairgrounds, specifically a 50-foot-by-90-foot timber-frame structure intended as a maintenance facility to house all materials necessary for running the North Haven Fair when the summer event is not active. Lewis said materials are stored in multiple different buildings on the property and that a “stationary” structure would be of help during preparations for the fair.

Lewis said the association will seek the necessary permits from the North Haven Building Office for each of the proposed structures.

Town engineer Andrew Bevilacqua told the PZC that the association has a “great plan” that sufficiently outlined its proposals in the abstract. Bevilacqua added that he would like to receive a site plan for each of the proposals, so that the details of their construction can become clearer and help the PZC prepare for any changes that may have to occur along the way.

“You’ve got to have erosion, you’ve got to have soil stockpiles, you’ve got to treat each area as you develop,” Bevilacqua explained.