Reserving Land At Fairfield Hills

For Future Schools

To the Editor:

In his 1991 book, The Art Of The Long View, Peter Schwartz explains methods that corporations and communities use to plan for the future. He counsels us to ask: 1. What are the driving forces? 2. What do you feel is uncertain? 3. What is inevitable?

Let me try. 1. A major driving force will be the demographic changes in Newtown over the next 10 to 50 years. People die, houses change hands, new homes built, students graduate, and more students born. As early as 1991, worldwide, a huge youthful population had already been born and immigration pressures increased. Technologies, adopted by these youths, have already changed the way we live and the way we educate our students. Who among us would have predicted that Facebook, Twitter, and the Internet would spark the revolutions now in progress in Tunisia and Egypt? The universal quest for freedom is a powerful driving force for change.

2. Uncertainty abounds. What we don’t know is whether the Newtown buildout will maintain the same average number of children per household, or if seniors will be selling their homes to younger adults with considerably more children. Therefore, the question of reserving land for future school needs becomes an appropriate current issue. We don’t know when our economy will regain its health. We don’t know the public’s tolerance for public housing, zoning changes, and tax increases.

3. What is inevitable? All the land in Newtown will eventually be fully built out.

“Newtown could pave over Fairfield Hills and fill the landscape with office buildings and parking lots and still earn itself less than a mill in revenue. People flocking to town to populate those new office buildings would … want houses nearby, spurring residential growth even more … making our next evaluation an even bigger bombshell.” (The Newtown Bee 3/28/03) “The town would need the equivalent of eight Sand Hill Plazas to lower taxes by a single mill.” (News-Times 3/28/03). If we were to develop all the land at Fairfield Hills, and we found that we needed additional community and education space, where would we find it? Technology advances and worldwide competition will force schools to expand and invent new programs, which will impact facility requirements. What will schools look like or teach in 2050? Science, technology, engineering, math? (STEM)

The central location of Fairfield Hills is ideal for community purposes. Banking a portion of the land at FFH for education will not increase our property taxes, but will provide time for the town to develop a real long-range plan. There are significantly better locations in Newtown for commercial and economic development and housing. This spring, citizens will receive the completed report from the FFH Review Committee. Last week, they began to solicit community input. Hopefully, the public will eagerly participate and make their desires known.

Planning for the long view includes planning for schools.

Ruby K. Johnson, PhD

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                       February 9, 2011