Don’t Push Young People

Out Of Newtown

To the Editor,

Standing in line at the Post Office, I overheard two gentlemen ahead of me commiserating with each other about their children not being able to afford to stay in Newtown. One man said that his family had been here for generations, but that the lack of houses and rentals within the reach of his young married children was forcing them to move elsewhere.

I was pleased, therefore, to see that the town had purchased the Fairfield Hills houses on Queen Street. Perhaps, now, those young people or some of the many like them in Newtown would have a chance to bid on these houses, fix them up, make them an asset to the town, and, most importantly, stay in their community. I am appalled that the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council is saying, in effect, that unless you can afford a $750,000 house your children will be an economic drain on town finances. Has this committee not read the town’s Plan of Development, which appears to hold no such attitude? I hate to think of what this community will become if thinking like that is allowed to prevail. The charm of Newtown has always been its eclectic mix of old and new, large and small, rich and not so rich. Its flavor has been changing rapidly in the past few years, with each new development consisting of bigger but not necessarily better houses. Let us not tear down those old houses, let us retain these vestiges of our past, and at the same time give some young people a chance to have an affordable place to live.

It behooves the town to keep in mind, too, that young people are an asset. It is primarily our younger citizens who become the volunteer firemen and workers in other town organizations. The town bemoans the scarcity of firemen in Newtown, and the aging of its membership. Many of our residents who live in houses $750,000 and up might like to become volunteer fireman, but cannot afford the time commitment it takes. We need to enlarge the pool of available recruits. We should be encouraging young people to stay in town, not pushing them out. Finance Committee, think of them as a quid pro quo.

Sincerely,

Carmel O’Neill

106 Poverty Hollow Road, Newtown February 14, 2000