What’s Your Vision

Of Newtown’s Future?

To the Editor:

Newtown will continue to grow in population and buildings until all the vacant land is consumed because the US population continues to increase by native births and immigration. How long will it take? No one knows! As buildout continues, some years rapidly, some years slowly, what features do you want to retain, what type of changes do you envision? This debate is growing louder as the town considers budgeting for sewers to Hawleyville and at Fairfield Hills as well as extended water lines to the Sandy Hook area. At the same time, $2 million in the next five years is proposed for the purchase of open space.

How much money should the town invest in keeping its rural environment, providing parks and hiking/biking trails, a second swimming pool for its present 26,000 inhabitants, adequately housing its municipal services (ambulance, police, fire), recreational needs (indoor and outdoor), cultural arts, schools, social services, road maintenance, etc)? How much money should be spent for infrastructure improvements (sewers, water, gas, electricity) to lure businesses to locate in Newtown to create jobs and possibly contribute to the tax base if the new employees do not add too many school age children? How shall the town allocate or use the 40 acres of flat land at Fairfield Hills?

Where will the money come from to do all of this, and what must be deleted from the list of needs? Under consideration now is the sale of portions of town-owned Fairfield Hills to an out-of-town developer to create apartment housing in order to support businesses at Fairfield Hills that depend on nearby customers to be successful. The developer, of course, wants to make money! Is this your vision for the future of Newtown? Do you want Fairfield Hills to grow into a small community like Sandy Hook, Hawleyville, or Dodgingtown? Do you envision a grocery store, nail salon, video store, paint store, office space, etc in a new FFH community? Or would you prefer to preserve Fairfield Hills as a Central Park, to include acres of open space for hiking, skiing, wildlife protection, and much-needed municipal buildings and playing fields.

We the people own Fairfield Hills. Let your voice be heard. By your letters to the editors of our three local newspapers, to Patch, Facebook, or Twitter and by attendance at town meetings, express your vision for the Newtown of the future. Help our leaders to understand your vision for the future of our wonderful town. Now is the time to be heard.

Ruby K. Johnson, PhD

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                             March 3, 2011