The Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) had a public hearing via Zoom, on March 4, for a referral from the Town of Newtown Board of Selectmen requesting the review and possible action on the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee’s 2019 recommendations.

George Benson, Land Use Agency Director of Planning, started by saying that there was a lot of information to discuss and that there will be two parts to this referral. First is the acceptance of it, and second is that after it is approved “then we will set up another committee that will look and see if there are any zoning amendments that we want to bring forward from these new suggestions.”

He added that by approving this referral, the commission is not changing the Fairfield Hills Adaptive Reuse Zone.

Presentation

Deborra Zukowski, chair of the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee, led a slideshow presentation to summarize the 2018-2019 Fairfield Hills Master Plan amendments being recommended.

She cited that the report is publicly available on the Town of Newtown’s webpage for the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee, newtown-ct.gov/fairfield-hills-master-plan-review-committee-0, specifically at the top of the documents list.

“When the committee was convened, it was given a charge to make recommendations as it deemed appropriate using community involvement and outreach as part of its effort to build perspective, regarding such recommendations,” Zukowski said.

To understand the history, needs, and concerns, the group did research on the master plan and campus property, had seven meetings, hosted public forums, and did a town-wide survey that received 1,825 responses.

“During our meetings, one of the most concerning things we learned was the deterioration of the buildings and the related issues of security and overall safety. During the time of our meeting, we found videos online of youth exploring buildings and saw news reports of people entering the buildings to steal copper and other items,” Zukowski said.

She added that those that enter the buildings are “at risk of being seriously hurt.”

Zukowski explained that if the buildings are not repurposed, the town will have to demolish them soon at the taxpayers’ expense. However, the committee received information that mixed use for the bigger buildings would help development cost.

The master plan review committee also learned that residents wanted more onsite bathrooms and food offerings; that there was interest in having more outdoor activities on campus, including maybe a band shell for music; and that the reactions to potential housing at Fairfield Hills had many in favor as well as against it.

Zukowski noted that the result of the November 2020 referendum — which asked, “Shall the Town of Newtown consider commercial proposals at the Fairfield Hills Campus that include a housing component, provided that a housing component would be limited to no more than two of the existing buildings, and that the renovation is consistent with the architectural vision of the property? – showed 9,401 votes in favor of mixed use out of the total 16,712 votes.

Ultimately, the committee’s recommendation for the vision states, “We envision Fairfield Hills as a vibrant sustainable destination where all members of the community can go to enjoy recreational, social, cultural, indoor and outdoor activities. The campus would provide a home for some municipal services and a gathering place for a variety of town-wide events. Small retail stores, restaurants, and professional offices would be nestled harmoniously within a core section of the campus. The well-designed campus would connect the history of the site with its future, with the town maintaining overall control of the property and preserving the campus environment and architectural style.”

For the use and theme, it recommends that “the plan be modified to allow commercial proposals that include a housing component, provided that the proposal is for no more than two existing buildings and that the commercial component is consistent with the vision of the property.”

Zukowski mentioned that the positive aspects of this proposal include cost avoidance, overall character preservation, safety, revenue to town through taxes and common charges, and adding to the population to help viability of the community.

The cons she brought up included the unknown of how shared parking would work, that focus would likely shift with commercial development to more serve those for people living on campus, that the town would be the landlord to those renting on town-owned land from a private-owned building, and there would be a more of a strain on aging infrastructure, including sewers.

The committee also suggested an assisted living facility be added as a supported use.

At the end of the presentation, Zukowski highlighted these specific recommendations for process and implementation:

“The committee recommends that the Fairfield Hills Master Plan review be repeated in five or fewer years until the vision is more fully implemented.

“The Committee recommends that Cochran [House] move from the fields table to the private development table.

“The Committee recommends that a site-use overlay plan should be developed that provides better guidance for potential development of existing buildings.

“The Committee recommends that buildings with no potential re-use be razed as soon as possible.

“The Committee recommends that there must be dedicated outdoor event space that could include a future structure such as a band shell or gazebo.”

Zukowski thanked her team members for their work and voiced to the commission that she hopes they will consider these recommendations.

Referral Feedback

Benson reminded the commission that these recommendations do not change the existing master plan, but it would be used as a guide to make decisions for future plans at Fairfield Hills.

Mitchell acknowledged that there were “so many layers of decision making here.”

P&Z member Corinne Cox said she loved the idea of an outdoor music area on campus for older residents to enjoy.

Benson piggybacked and said they have been trying to have an area for special events for years where there would be a gazebo or bandstand already there.

“They’ve really come up with a lot of good ideas and put it down in a good form, good thoughts, and good language. I think it’s something we can work with. It will definitely help us and guide us,” he said.

Benson also addressed the concern about “aging infrastructure” that was brought up and said the town received a grant for improving the sewer loop around campus. It should be installed this year to help with existing and future development at Fairfield Hills.

When public participation was open, no one came forward to comment.

The public hearing was then closed, and the commission members thanked Zukowski for her work with the presentation.

A motion was made to approve Referral 21.04 from the Town of Newtown Board of Selectmen for the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee’s 2019 recommendations.

Five specifics findings were included to the motion, which were that it (a) is consistent with the FHAR; (b) will not cause unacceptable congestion or traffic hazards on neighboring streets; (c) will not substantially impair property values in the neighborhood; (d) will not create a health or safety hazard to persons or property on or off the campus; (e) is consistent with the Newtown Plan of Conservation and Development.”

The vote passed unanimously.

To learn more about the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), visit newtown-ct.gov/planning-zoning-commission. Call the P&Z office at 203-270-4276 for information on participating in meetings virtually.