Who Owns Fairfield Hills?

To the Editor:

Who owns Fairfield Hills?

We the people, you and me!  The selectmen requested the Planning and Zoning Commission to change the zoning at Fairfield Hills (FFH) to allow the selectmen to sell or rent the eight single-family homes, located in the West Meadow, as “affordable” housing.  Usually, property owners ask for a zoning change if they feel they will incur a financial loss under existing zoning. In contrast, re-zoning FFH to permit any type of housing will diminish our investment, not enhance it.

Taxpayers will spend the $20 million bond issue and perhaps more to buy and abate FFH.  Land banked, the 20-acre West Meadow would be available for future town uses. Sold for housing, this portion of the West Meadow will be lost forever and will limit options for the remaining portions. Will these new homeowners object to a senior center nearby? Would they want playing fields or a school next to their homes?  We will sustain a significant financial loss if we are forced to buy land somewhere else for our needs.

The West Meadow lies across Wasserman Way from the Reed School. To view the houses, drive south on Mile Hill South, turn left at the first road and the houses are on your left.  The access road to reach them is located behind Norwalk Hall.

Can the P&Z Commission thoughtfully consider a zoning change to permit affordable housing at FFH until it reviews the total plan and understands how the various uses impact one another?  Members of the P&Z have spent hours listening to Toll Brothers’ request for a change in zoning to create senior housing on Oakview Road. The developers provided maps and details. In contrast, the selectmen’s plan has not been published.

The High School Space Needs Committee requested the West Meadow for a building to relieve overcrowding at Newtown High.  This is the same area that the selectmen said was to be left as open land. The school group is now looking at the eastern portion of FFH.

Consideration is underway to reserve these houses for town employees such as teachers, police officers, etc.  Will the houses truly be “affordable” if we charge them for the land? What is an acre or half-acre of land at FFH worth? $100,000? $200,000 or more?  Should the town buy and abate FFH in order to provide “affordable housing” for our town employees when hundreds of Newtown commuters travel long distances because they can’t afford to live in Stamford, Westport, New York, etc?  Buying land for employee housing requires careful evaluation. 

A public hearing on the master plan is tentatively scheduled for February 17.  Hopefully, the public will have several weeks to study the plan. After this hearing, the P&Z members will have a better understanding of what action is most advantageous for the citizens of Newtown  — the real owners of Fairfield Hills.

Until the Planning and Zoning Commission has had an opportunity to review a complete Master Plan for Fairfield Hills, they shouldn’t be asked to permit single-family homes at FFH.

Ruby Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                      January 11, 2005