Town Workers Look Forward To Fairfield Hills Move

By Kendra Bobowick

Excitement and a dash of curiosity color thoughts among municipal personnel looking ahead just a few months to a change in work space. As maples welcome red and orange hues back to their spectrum, and temperatures cool this fall, employees at the Edmond Town Hall will be leaving the historic building’s familiarity for the newly renovated Bridgeport Hall at Fairfield Hills. (See related story about Bridgeport Hall).

Town officials and staff discuss the move. First Selectman Joe Borst is not thinking about clearing his shelves and packing possessions into boxes; his thoughts turned political. “I want to get the job done,” he said Monday. Hopefully the move will assuage any misinformation or skepticism about plans to occupy the former state hospital space, he suggested. In past years residents have questioned the decision to relocate offices to a new town hall at Fairfield Hills. The staff, however, primarily welcomes the change.

Finance Director Robert Tait — now at the Edmond Town Hall — likes the idea of a new office. With plans to walk through the renovated rooms at Fairfield Hills with his department members soon, he would like others to share his interest in a work setting offering nature trails. Throughout the campus are trails winding across meadows and through the woods.

Up a flight of stairs and down the hall from Mr Tait is Tax Assessor Chris Kelsey, who “can’t wait” to settle into a roomier office. “I am excited,” he said, for both the added space and the new location. He admitted that his office is “cramped” right now, and architect’s renderings reveal a “nice layout” in Bridgeport Hall. Tuesday morning Clerk of the Works Bill Knight unrolled construction prints for the building — wings filled with offices, furniture, break rooms, meeting halls, and an otherwise busy sketch for the completed renovation project.

Republican Registrar of Voters Karin Aurelia answered instantly, “I am very excited.” Stressing that the move is “not wanted, but needed.” She said, “It’s a brand new building, lots more room, it’s fantastic.” Willing to “live without being next to the General Store,” Ms Aurelia insisted, “I can’t be any clearer; as far as I am concerned I am happy.” Like Mr Tait, Ms Aurelia notes that the Fairfield Hills location is perfect for enjoying a walk during a work break and adds room to alleviate the increasingly cramped space within the Edmond Town Hall.

From Peck’s Lane

Now occupying suites at the Kendro Building on Peck’s Lane, several town offices and the Board of Education located there will soon be giving up those rents for town-owned space in Bridgeport Hall.

An electronic “move” accompanies the change in work locations. Public Works Director Fred Hurley said electronic improvements should not be overlooked with the bustle to relocate offices. A reorganized computer and data system will be “a huge step forward.” Electronically, town departments will have better communication with each other, he said. Mr Hurley feels this will be the largest impact in the change. “It ties together town departments; we can do our jobs better and more quickly,” he said. “It saves us time, we’ll have more correct information more quickly.”

Health District Director Donna Culbert also looks forward to moving, but will miss the Kendro location. In a quick email this week, she wrote: “I am very much looking forward to our new ‘home’ at Fairfield Hills. It will be terrific to finally be located with most of the other town departments. I love the grounds and the location at Fairfield Hills and will enjoy the walking trail. I think the building will be beautiful and Fairfield Hills can become an even more active focal point for the community.

“I will miss the Kendro building’s other tenants (Tier One employees, Wayne Keller and Charlotte and Wolfgang Hilse and their son who run the cafeteria) who are truly wonderful people and have become like family.”

Like Ms Culbert, Board of Education Superintendent Janet Robinson will miss the cafeteria’s staff. “They have such a wonderful cook,” she said. Occupied with school projects, including an in-progress high school expansion, for one, she has had little time to learn details regarding the move into Bridgeport Hall. But she and her staff are preparing to move the short stretch down the road from Peck’s Lane to Fairfield Hills. “We went on a field trip to see what it looks like.” The first to mention apprehensions, she said some of her staff were not certain about their new work space.

Ms Robinson will wait for a move date. “I am waiting to hear what to do,” she said.

Shouldering much of the electronics that will be established for the various departments in their new offices is Technology and GIS Director Scott Sharlow. Maria DeMarco and DeMarco Management will coordinate the move.

Relocating are the town clerk, tax assessor and collector, judge of probate, human resources, the first selectman’s office, the finance office and registrars, and at Peck’s Lane the fire marshal’s office, Newtown Health District, the education offices, and land use agency.

An Overview

Both Mr Hurley and Fairfield Hills Authority Chairman Bob Geckle noted that Greenwich Hall — slated all along for demolition to make room for a parking area and green — is almost finished coming down. “It looks like a war zone,” Mr Hurley said, “But, in about 30 days, you’ll say, ‘Wow.’”

With Greenwich torn down, parking areas finished, and exterior work on Bridgeport Hall closer to completion, Mr Hurley explained, “You’ll have a clear view from [Bridgeport Hall] to the Newtown Youth Academy.”

Visible from Wasserman Way between the road and Bridgeport Hall is a central green also seeing improvements — landscaping, patios and a central flagpole and seating area. Litchfield Hall, for which capital improvement funds already are approved for demolitions, will be coming down and an eventual community and senior center will be going up. Also approved in a prior round of Capital Improvement Plans are funds for design work for the community center. The town and Fairfield Hills Authority are currently working to market and lease buildings viable for reuse. By next month funding for a veterinary hospital could be in place, and renovations will subsequently begin at Woodbury Hall.

Work to lay infrastructure below ground is also being completed, with gas lines and electric awaiting final steps.