Last Chance For Fairfield Hills

To the Editor:

Town leaders have submitted their revised Master Plan for Fairfield Hills to the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) for approval at a public hearing on Thursday, February 17, Newtown Middle School Auditorium, 7:30 pm.

P&Z members will take into consideration all public comments that evening. This may be the last chance for the public to influence the future development and costs associated with Fairfield Hills. The selectmen have stated they will not allow another referendum.

This proposed master plan (dated December 27, 2004) with maps appears on the town’s website. Engineering studies have been added for Shelton (town hall) and Plymouth (recreation) to determine renovation vs new construction, but only two changes distinguish the revised plan from the earlier one defeated August 12, 2003: 1. Permit Structured Parking (parking garage). 2. Demolish Stamford Hall instead of marketing it as a hotel.

Extensive commercial development of FFH still dominates the plan. It retains the same five buildings and duplexes for commercial use: Newtown, 22,260 sf; Woodbury, 45,512 sf;  Stratford, 9,000 sf; Canaan and Kent reduced to 50,000 sf each, duplexes 10,000 sf. Total is 186,512 sf. (Stop & Shop equals 58,092 sf), Bridgeport Hall is ambiguously designated as Assembly/Office/Community. In contrast, the vacant 38-acre town-owned Commerce Park property potentially offers 306,000 sf (HMA report).

Parking spaces: depends on use. For example, physicians’ offices and restaurants require more spaces because of overlapping time requirement. The plan estimates 1,375–1,425 parking spaces are needed, including spaces for playing fields.

Costs: $1,000 per car for surface parking: $10,000 per car for structured parking. Surface parking for 100 cars requires ten acres and costs about $100,000. For structured parking for 100 cars expect $1 million. The burden of financing either type usually falls on the town.

Fairfield Hills is a quality of life issue. Will our town be better off with an additional 1,000–1,200 cars coming into the campus every day or 1,475 if a school is added?

Recently, Queen Street residents voiced concern over the volume, speed, and noise of the increased traffic on their road. “It’s a multifaceted problem…” Police Chief Kehoe said of increasing traffic volumes... “the road handles 5,500 and 6,000 vehicles daily...” He continued, “… extending the currently dead end Commerce Road to Wasserman Way would relieve some of the traffic pressures on Queen Street. But such a long-term solution would be costly.” (Newtown Bee January 2005)

In addition to increased traffic, commercialization attracts workers moving into town, which in turn increases the need for housing, infrastructure, and school facilities.

Will our lives be enriched by such extensive commercial development? Is it desirable to erect new, three-story, 50,000 sf commercial buildings on the Kent House or Canaan House sites as the Plan permits? Wouldn’t it be better to locate commercial uses in the Commerce Park expansion and save FFH for town needs?

Attend the February 17 meeting. Speak up! Save Fairfield Hills from commercialization. Save it for our tomorrow.

Ruby Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                       February 9, 2005