FFH Authority Addresses Phase 1 Expenses

By Kendra Bobowick

Dollar amounts both large and small dominated the discussion Tuesday at the Fairfield Hills Authority meeting. Members took action regarding the former state hospital campus that will eventually translate into specific sums.

Authority Chair Robert Geckle said, “We need to get hard prices.”

Progressing one step in its plans, the authority unanimously moved to go ahead and get hard cost projections and directed Preconstruction Manager Scott Baillie to move into the design and development phase for plans including a baseball field, parking, and some trail improvements.

Pleased with the decision, Mr Baillie thanked the authority and said, “We would like to move forward.” No price is yet determined, although members would like to see some rough cost breakdowns in upcoming meetings.

Mr Geckle agreed they need to see “more specific cost estimates.” He also stressed that all discussions are preliminary at this stage.

Standing before the board with sketches propped on an easel, Mr Baillie discussed a Phase I schematic proposing 3,800 feet of paved trails, a 90-foot baseball field with a warning track, and an estimated 48 parking spaces. The warning track is a brief space where the outfield grass ends several feet before the back wall or fence, warning a player chasing a fly ball.

The field’s location also drew scrutiny, but authority member John Reed supported the field’s proposed central location.

“That area is interior and won’t incur wrath about lighting,” he said. Situated away from any neighbors, the field’s lighting is an eventuality that the Parks and Recreation Department is assessing.

The master plan does not include lighting.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Edward Marks commented on the field proposal, observing that initially the department had hoped for two fields on the Fairfield Hills grounds. However, Mr Marks said Tuesday that the option of one field with lighting was viable. Lights would extend the playing hours. He also indicated that his commission would cover costs.

“That’s the one number left in our capitol improvement plan,” he said. “One [field] is what we’re looking for right now, with lights.”

Further details surfaced regarding the proposed trails, which call for pavement. This option is favored by some and a source of concern for others.

Pavement can be easily maintained and plowed, as some members point out, but recent meetings have seen opposition to the hard surface.

Blacktop is not favored by those on horseback who have asked about access to the Fairfield Hills trails. Already the Newtown Bridle Lands Association and Governor’s Horse Guard have a network of trails in the area, which may intersect with the newer trail system. Authority members and project architects have reviewed overlaying maps for both proposed and established routes.

No specific uses or restrictions have been finalized as yet. Mr Baillie did explain that this Phase I proposal involves a trail that is nearly one-and-a-half miles when traveled from one end and back.

Operating Budget

Authority members also decided to send their proposed budget of $598,500 to the finance board. Occupying a single line item in the town operating budget, the authority uses these funds primarily on campus operations, such as security costs and utility bills.

The voter-approved $20 million of bonded funds is already in place and poised to support the Fairfield Hills Master Plan. Nonetheless, authority member John Reed spoke of seeking grant money to supplement future costs.

The campus may also possess several alternate sources of revenue and resources. Mr Geckle discussed the small power plant on site.

“We have looked at the power plant and are investigating if it would make sense to use it in the future,” he said. Currently, the authority does not believe the facility is salvageable, “but there may be some other angles,” Mr Geckle said. “It’s something we should look at.”

The community has also expressed private interest in other facilities on the Fairfield Hills campus.

Mr Geckle said, “I had an individual approach me about a community greenhouse.” The person, whom Geckle did not name, had asked to refurbish the greenhouse now on site for private use, he said.

With the development plans in such preliminary stages, he could not provide any assurances.

Extensive construction is a likelihood for the coming year, Mr Baillie confirmed.

Mr Geckle explained to the board that he told the individual, “Probably not this year.”