Fairfield Hills Deal Inches Toward A Closing

By Jan Howard

A closing on the Fairfield Hills campus may be drawing nearer. All water-related issues have been resolved, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said this week, with the only remaining issue related to the town’s environmental remediation action plan for the property.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has not as yet approved the town’s plan. The issue, which arose as the town’s remediation plan worked its way through the DEP, centers about removal of pesticides around the buildings and the water quality of Deep Brook, which receives runoff from the campus.

Mr Rosenthal said the town recently submitted modifications to the plan to the DEP.

“Hopefully it will be approved,” he said. “I think we finally came to something we both [DEP and the town] can agree to.”

Once the remedial action plan is approved by the DEP, the town would also receive from the state a covenant not to sue for related environmental issues as long as the town follows that plan. Mr Rosenthal said he is currently preparing the paperwork regarding the covenant.

Mr Rosenthal signed the contract for the purchase of the 189-acre campus on October 20, 2003. The sale of the property is contingent upon the approval of the environmental remediation action plan and receipt of a covenant not to sue from the state.

In a related issue, Mr Rosenthal noted he expects the University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research and Analysis to announce soon the beginning of a survey to address changes the selectmen made in February to the Fairfield Hills Master Plan.

The plan was defeated in a townwide referendum in August 2003.

The survey is to begin with a press kickoff that would make residents aware they might receive a call regarding the master plan.

The independent survey, which would cost $10,000, would address whether residents agree with the modifications the selectmen made to the plan.

Following the master plan defeat, the selectmen in December decided to look at the plan to see what modifications they could make to it before making a decision on whether a survey should be conducted to gauge public sentiment on the plan and possible changes.

The selectmen later voted unanimously to adopt changes to the plan and agreed to sample residents’ comments on the changes.

The survey is to include 400 residents aged 18 or over who would be selected randomly.

In regard to the appointment recently of an Ad Hoc Fairfield Hills Management Committee, Mr Rosenthal said the first task of the eight members would be to establish operating procedures that would be submitted to the Board of Selectmen for approval.

The first thing that must be addressed following a closing on the property is how to make the campus and the buildings more secure, he said.

Mr Rosenthal said he is leaving it up to the members as to whether the committee would be comprised of eight regular members or five regular members and three alternates. He said the Board of Selectmen recommendation is that it be similar to other boards in town, five members and three alternates.

The management committee would replace the state Department of Public Works, which currently contracts with a private company, DeMarco, Miles and Murphy, Inc, to manage the property.

Mr Rosenthal said committee members were asked to serve on the committee because of their management experience. The committee would have a budget of $750,000, according to Mr Rosenthal.

He said while the committee has been established for only a year, it could become permanent in the future.

Committee members include John Reed, Robert Geckle, Moira Rodgers, Amy Dent, Don Studley, Dick Studevant, Andrew Willie, and William Lavery.