Four Town Fair Ready to Rebuild

Like so many places in the region, it was a tough winter for structures at the Four Town Fairgrounds on Egypt Road in Somers.

Several of the buildings collapsed under the heavy snow-load, including the maintenance area and about 60 percent of the large commercial craft building, according to fair officials.

And like so many others in the region, fair organizers are anxious to rebuild and get the grounds back into operating condition.

Earlier this month Janice Steinmetz, secretary of The Union Agricultural Society Inc. of Enfield, Somers, Ellington and East Windsor, asked Somers selectmen for some help.

Because the fair is considered to be an "exempt" organization, Steinmetz asked selectmen to waive the fees attached to the necessary building permits to rebuild the structures.

First Selectwoman Lisa Pellegrini was hesitant about the request at the board's March 10 meeting. Sixteen buildings collapsed in Somers during the heavy snowstorms in January and February, she said. If she grants the fee waiver for one, she'd have to do it for all, she said.

Selectwoman Kathleen Devlin said otherwise. Devlin argued that because the fair is considered a nonprofit organization, selectmen could make an exception and waive the fee.

The women did not make a decision on the request and continued with other business before revisiting the issue at the end of the meeting after Steinmetz had left.

After discussing the fair's financial status, Pellegrini and Devlin decided to waive the building permit fee for the maintenance building.

Steinmetz was delighted by the decision when told after the meeting as she stood in the Town Hall foyer.

She said although the fair itself is held in September, the grounds are used by others throughout the warmer months.

The group has solicited four bids for the work and hopes to work quickly to rebuild the maintenance structure.