An Option For

Queen Street Properties

(The Bee has received the following letter to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal for publication)

Dear First Selectman Rosenthal,

I’m enclosing three newspaper articles about Newtown that appeared in recent issues of local newspapers. Two are from the January 14th issue of The Newtown Bee and deal with our need for a new 5/6 school, additional town government office space, athletic fields and new headquarters for the police and fire departments. The third is from the January 15th issue of the Danbury News-Times and concerns a decision the town must make regarding how to dispose of six houses on Queen Street and fifteen surrounding acres. Unfortunately the Queen Street properties are not referred to in The Newtown Bee articles and the town’s need for additional space is not mentioned in the News-Times; therefore, the reader is left wondering if the town has considered using any of their Queen Street holdings to solve their other needs.

As for town office space, nearby North Salem (NY) converted three adjacent old homes into town offices several years ago, thereby solving a problem similar to what Newtown now has and simultaneously preserving the historic charm of these buildings. Prior to that the town of Lewisboro, just south of North Salem, was given an old farm by a local resident and proceeded to convert several structures thereon for use as town offices and then installed ball fields on part of the former farmland. Again, town needs were met and the area’s rural character was retained.

Perhaps the town is considering the use of the Queen  Street properties for the above referred needs and the enclosed articles simply failed to mention it. However, I thought I ought to bring the above to your attention in the event the town is overlooking what appears to be a worthwhile option.

Sincerely Yours,

Dorothy D. Dwyer

8 Obtuse Road, Newtown                January 18, 2000