It’s Time

To Comment

To the Editor:

Many times over the last several months I have wanted to respond to the misrepresentation, innuendo, bogus statistical analysis, and outright lies that have appeared in “The Letter Hive,” but I have chosen to remain silent. (Not my usual demeanor.) It’s time to comment.

The supporters of WeCAN keep saying they need answers to questions and the town needs a plan. Many of the answers to their questions can be found on the official Newtown website. They have been there in the Plan of Conservation and Development and the Master Plan for Fairfield Hills. Part of the plan is to limit population growth by continuing to buy open space. Justin Scott’s two recent letters about open space state that argument very well.

So many letters have said we need open space not development at Fairfield Hills. How will that be achieved? Will the buildings just walk away and leave an uncluttered greenway behind? No. It costs money to remediate and remove the decaying buildings and create the open space and fields that the master plan envisions. It will cost millions of dollars more than the existing bond issue. Twenty-two acres of the overall 187 acres of property are slated for development. The Fairfield Hills Authority plans to use the funds generated by that development to help underwrite the cost of removing the other buildings that are on the property. That will provide more green space than exists there today while reducing the need to fully bond the demolition costs!

Like it or not we need a fully functional town hall. Edmond Town Hall was built at a time when Newtown was a village of 2,635 people. This ten-fold increase in population means more administrative needs and recording requirements, which translates into more space. The proposed town hall isn’t Herb’s town hall; he can walk to work now and he has a nice view of Main Street from his office. It doesn’t benefit him to move; it benefits the town in that the overall administration of this $100 million business that is Newtown will be more efficient. It doesn’t need to be at Fairfield Hills, but renovating an existing building on property that we already own is much more sensible than purchasing another and taking it off the tax rolls.

I know and share everyone’s frustration with the cost projections for Newtown’s capital projects. I’ve lived here since 1978 and fought many pitched budget battles, but I’ve never seen such a strident “us versus them” mentality as today. Please be a critical reader and recognize that most of the letters you read here are opinion, rarely are the “facts” accurate, especially those of regular contributors.

Amy Dent

(not a regular contributor)

10 Country Squire Road, Sandy Hook                        March 30, 2007