Following a presentation to the Board of Selectmen on Monday, May 4, First Selectman Pat Llodra said town Grants Coordinator Christal Preszler’s reporting showed that the local part-time Planning Department staffer has a good grasp on how the town hopes to advance both its applications for and use of nonlocal funding sources for development projects.

Mrs Llodra said the latest grant report is evidence that Newtown is beginning to reap benefits following a 2014 restructuring by selectmen, who decided to divide duties formerly handled exclusively by former Community and Economic Development director Elizabeth Stocker.

Following Ms Stocker’s resignation to accept a similar job in Norwalk, selectmen opted to reassign her former duties between Ms Preszler and Economic Development Coordinator Betsy Paynter. Mrs Llodra told The Bee that the decision to reassign specific tasks allowed Ms Preszler to become more focused on grants writing while tapping Ms Paynter’s particular skills in a dedicated position targeting marketing and promotion of local economic development opportunities.

Both are currently serving under the general supervision of the Planning and Land Use department.

“Each of these two separate positions are a bit less than full time, but each are specialists,” Mrs Llodra said. “Grants Administrator Christal Preszler’s report illustrates the clarity and vision we were looking for in the role. I am confident that over time we will see financial and development benefits from both of these specialized positions.”

After the meeting, Ms Preszler said her top focus remains identifying possible grants to underwrite development initiatives for Fairfield Hills and the former Superfund site known as the Batchelder property. The grants official said she is also ramping up her efforts regarding two other hazardous waste sites near Sandy Hook center at 7 and 28A Glen Road.

She currently has an application pending with the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in the amount of $1.8 million earmarked for further Batchelder cleanup. Town officials have ventured that parcel in Botsford could be appropriate for a solar energy “farm” or other commercial/industrial applications.

Turning attention to Fairfield Hills, Ms Preszler said a recent inquiry about a development on the site of Norwalk Hall at Fairfield Hills might permit some realignment of current grant funds so the town can expedite remediation and demolition of a cluster of vacant residential homes that formerly housed Fairfield Hills staff.

An attempt to clean up and tear down those structures began in 2014, but escalating remediation expenses and a need to divert some previously allocated funds to completing demolition of Danbury Hall forced work on the smaller houses to be put on hold.

Ms Preszler said US HealthVest, which operates psychiatric care and substance abuse treatment facilities, has expressed interest in developing a project at Norwalk Hall. She said if the company produces a hazmat and remediation analysis that is comprehensive enough and the company initiates its project, it could eventually permit the town to shift some grant funds to refocus on razing the small homes on campus.

At the same time, there is an additional $350,000 grant pending with DECD, which is also designated for assessing and razing those the single-family structures.

Ms Preszler said the selectmen also hope to see a Fairfield Hills “streetscape” project get traction in the coming months. If she is able to get grant funding, a planned Highway Department. project centering around the main entrance could be extended further into the campus. She is seeking a $500,000 grant for further streetscape improvements at the campus.

Her report to the selectmen also indicates that two reports on other Fairfield Hills buildings, paid for by a $200,000 Municipal Brownfields Assessment Grant, are due back to the town in the coming week.

A cleanup grant for $200,000 is pending with the federal Environmental Protection Agency for 28A Glen Road, a former industrial site. And a regional Valley Council of Governments grant of approximately $50,000 was recently committed for assessment and preparation of a Request for Quotes to clean up and demolish a former service station at 7 Glen Road.

Ms Preszler closed her presentation to selectmen reviewing four other active grants totaling $1.61 million from four different agencies being applied to developing town sidewalks, a Hawleyville sewer line extension, signage to promote Sandy Hook Village, and to help renovate a duplex at Fairfield Hills that will become a new headquarters for the Newtown Parent Connection.