Modifying The Master Plan

To the Editor:

The selectmen have decided that the public opinion poll to be conducted by the University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research and Analysis will ask questions designed to determine whether the residents agree with the modifications made to the master plan in February.

The master plan was defeated 1,238 to 1,084 in a town referendum conducted August 12, 2003. The selectmen continue to use the defeated master plan as their model. To intelligently answer a poll that only asks about modifications, a citizen will need to know what the original plan proposed. To date, all that has been reported in the newspaper is the following:

1. Master Plan: Demolish Shelton House and construct a new town hall building on the same site. Modifications: Pay for an engineering report to compare demolition of Shelton House vs renovation.

2. Master Plan: Demolish ten buildings (Shelton, Danbury, Fairfield, Bridgewater, Greenwich, Yale, Litchfield, Cochran, Norwalk, and Kent. Cochran would be demolished for playing fields and Norwalk to be land bank space). Modification: Adds Stamford to demolition list. Demolish Plymouth if engineering study recommends.

3. Master Plan: Demolish six single-family homes. Modification: Preserve single-family homes for affordable housing.

4. Master Plan: Parking for 1,500 cars. Modification: No modification announced

5. Master Plan: Retains 220,000–254,000 square feet for commercial use (Woodbury, Newtown, Stratford, Stamford, Bridgeport, Canaan, and maybe Kent). Modification: Reduced to 225,000 square feet. Demolish Stamford

6. Master Plan: Plymouth Hall is designated for community use or to be turned over to a nonprofit recreation group. Modification: The Capital Improvement Plan approved by the selectman, Board of Finance, and Legislative Council includes $2.4 million for construction of a new recreation building in 2007-2008. The selectmen have not disclosed where this building will be built.

7. Master Plan: Duplexes designated for retail shops. Modification: No modification has been reported.

If more modifications are made to the master plan, I would expect the local newspapers to report, in full, all the selectmen’s changes. There will not be another vote on a master plan for Fairfield Hills.

To learn more about our positions regarding the utilization of Fairfield Hills for municipal, educational, recreational, and cultural activities associated with community needs and limited commercial/economic development at Fairfield Hills, visit our website at www.friendsoffairfieldhills.org.

An informed citizen serves democracy best!

Linda E. Dunn

26 Old Bethel Road, Newtown                                           July 6, 2004