Parks super to decide fate of Stamford's Columbus statue, seeks public input - CT Insider

STAMFORD — The heated debate about whether or not to remove a statue of Christopher Columbus in Stamford seems set to go before an ad-hoc committee.

That’s the plan, said Jennifer Williams, the superintendent of Parks and Recreation.

“The statue is on my to-do list,” she said.

A legal opinion released on Friday from the city’s corporate counsel identified Williams as the person who has jurisdiction over monuments placed on city parks. Board of Representatives President Matthew Quinones asked for the legal opinion about three weeks ago.

The letter from the law department points out that the city’s Charter states that the superintendent of parks and recreation is responsible for the “establishment, construction, maintenance and operation of all parks, public recreation areas, public beaches and any structures and monuments thereon.”

In the opinion, Assistant Corporation Counsel Michael Toma added, “There is no corresponding language granting such jurisdiction to any other entity.”

Williams said she is planning on forming a committee to discuss the monument, and while the idea is only in the concept phase, she said Economic Development Director Thomas Madden would be on it.

“We absolutely want many opinions,” she said, adding that the meetings would be held in a public setting.

“I think it’s fair that the discussions are publicized,” she said.

The issue of whether or not to keep the monument dedicated to the 15th-century explorer has divided residents and caused heated debates.

The statue of Columbus in Stamford, in the downtown square also named for him, depicts him standing on a globe — to symbolize the New World — in the center of a small pool of water. It was erected in 1960 by the Stamford chapter of Unico, an Italian-American service organization established in Waterbury in 1922.

In recent weeks, statues of Columbus have been removed from parks in Bridgeport and New Haven.

During the July 4th weekend, groups on both sides of the issue held dueling events at the Stamford statue.

The petition to change the name of Columbus Park called for the square to be renamed for former Stamford Mayor Bruno Giordano.

But Giordano’s daughter, Esther-Marie Giordano, recently penned a letter to the editor defending the statue and stating she does not want the square to be renamed.

The legal opinion released last week also states that the Board of Representatives passed a resolution in 1958 to rename the park Columbus Park and retire the previous name of West Park. Meeting minutes of that vote, according to the letter, state that the board was made aware that a statue of Columbus would be placed at the park and voiced no objection to it.

The opinion also states that the parks and recreation superintendent’s authority over monuments was added in 1977.

Because of that, the Board of Representatives does not have any authority over monuments. However, the board could still pass a nonbinding resolution that a statue be removed, or not, in an effort to persuade Williams.

In terms of renaming the park, that responsibility falls on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Williams said the commission has discussed adding the issue to an upcoming meeting, but nothing is official yet.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com

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https://www.ctinsider.com/local/stamfordadvocate/article/Parks-super-to-decide-fate-of-Stamford-s-15442288.php

2020-07-29 12:30:00Z
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