Date: Fri 01-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

review-Rauner-Rosenthal

Full Text:

1998: The Year In Review

(with photos)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

In 1998, the numbers told the story. Newtown's grand list saw its largest

growth in ten years (up 4.5 percent), nearly 250 homes were sold and the town

clerk's office shattered its record for the number of documents recorded in a

year -- hitting 10,000 earlier this month.

In September, Newtown's school system broke a record when it saw a six percent

increase in enrollment. In March alone, 83 homes were sold, a 56 percent

increase over March 1997. For the year, the town issued more than 230 building

permits.

These numbers speak for themselves and are a further indication that Newtown

is riding a cycle of rapid growth. With every new home comes more

responsibility to the town and its taxpayers, who are seeing the burden of

growth lying squarely on their shoulders. In May, the town approved a $59.3

million budget, the largest in town history.

"It's been a very active year," noted First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who

praised his fellow town employees. "We were presented with a lot of

challenges. From the land-use, building, the town clerks, the schools -- we're

very busy right across the board."

The Re-Use Of Fairfield Hills

Along with the growth, Newtown continued to find itself in a transitional

phase. Before Newtown can move forward, however, it will have to pull out its

wallet and then make some tough decisions on its direction for the future.

No one single issue has a greater potential to shape that future than the

disposition of Fairfield Hills.

"It is certainly something that will have a dramatic impact on the town. We

have one chance to do it and we need to do it right," said Mr Rosenthal.

The state is marketing the 185-acre "core campus" section of the former state

mental hospital for private redevelopment. In early December, developers and

real estate people toured the sprawling property to gauge its potential new

uses.

By June, a joint committee of state and town representatives, including State

Rep Julia Wasserman, is expected to select a large firm to buy the property.

The sale of the Fairfield Hills property comes in an era of patient

"de-institutionalization." The hospital closed in 1995.

Last spring, members of the Planning and Zoning Commission rezoned the land at

Fairfield Hills to regulate the private redevelopment of the property. The

rezoning is intended to prevent the property from being developed for

single-family housing.

More than a year ago, the town voted to accept 22.6 acres, Watertown Hall, and

an old garage at Fairfield Hills from the state. The deal was part of a 1991

settlement over a lawsuit the town brought against the state for building the

Garner Correctional Institute in Newtown.

The town is still trying to determine what value there is in what it received.

Watertown Hall is full of asbestos and does not appear to be suitable for town

needs, according to one architect who was looking at the site as a possible

location for a new school.

As part of the state's plan to unload the former state mental health facility

property, it offered the town Right-Of-First Refusal on a stretch of land

along Queen Street. The price tag: $1.2 million.

The Legislative Council has approved the purchase and the issue goes to a town

meeting later this winter.

A Growing Expense List

During this past year, the list of capital expenses "coming down the pike"

continued to grow, causing serious concern among council members. One list

showed more than $50 million worth of impending expenditures. Newtown has

bonded more than $65 million in recent years to pay for high-cost capital

construction.

The Board of Education recently announced it was considering the construction

of a grades 5-6 school. School officials say it is the best solution for

Newtown's ever-growing school community.

Enrollment figures at the elementary schools and middle school have

skyrocketed and are projected to rise even more over the next five years. This

proposal comes less than a year after the completion of the renovations and

additions to Newtown High School and Hawley School. The town will be paying

for these projects, along with the library addition and the municipal sewers,

for the next ten years.

In addition to several other costly expenses, the town also may purchase the

$1.2 million Queen Street property. At some point, say council members,

someone has to say enough is enough. But how do you say "no" to projects that

are in urgent need due to the town's rapid growth?

To calm the spending spree, the council is attempting to prioritize these

capital expenditures. It hopes it can find a way to manage them all. The list

may have to be refined, however. The scope and size of the projects may need

to be toned down.

"I'm optimistic we will find a way to manage the costs of these things," Mr

Rosenthal said. "It may take some creative methods of purchase to make sure

there isn't too much of an impact on property taxes."

Addressing Municipal Space

Another big cost "coming down the pike" is the much-needed overhaul of the

town's municipal space. Town officials are still figuring out how to address

these needs, but the price tag may hit $20 million no matter what they do.

Newtown's municipal space needs woes certainly did not go away in 1998. Town

Hall South continued to leak, Edmond Town hall continued to creak and many

town offices remained at Canaan House on the campus of Fairfield Hills. In

addition, the Newtown Hook & Ladder firehouse on Main Street was deemed

structurally unsafe.

To address these problems, Selectman Bill Brimmer's space needs committee has

been meeting to come up with a solution. The town hired the architectural firm

Kaestle Boos to assess the condition of the town buildings and analyze the

existing space needs.

The architects also provided 13 different scenarios to consider. One option

called for the construction of a new municipal building, while others called

for additions to Edmond Town Hall.

"In 1999, I would hope we would have a proposal to present to the town and a

recommendation for some sort of project," Mr Rosenthal said.

Local Elections

As the nation watched the unfolding scandal surrounding President Bill

Clinton, Newtown went to the polls in November. This year's election brought

several new faces into the fray. Longtime state senator Fred Lovegrove opted

not to run again after 15 years in Hartford. John McKinney kept the seat in

Republican hands, however, with a victory over Democratic challenger Tom

Ganim.

Rep Bill Varese stepped down from his seat after an ugly run-in with the law,

paving the way for newcomer Pat Shea of Monroe to take over the 112th District

seat.

Julia Wasserman held on to her seat in the 106th District, as did John Stripp

in the 135th. Mrs Wasserman surprised very few people in returning to Hartford

for her fifth straight term; she defeated her Independent candidate, Charles

Noe of Bethel, by receiving an amazing 93 percent of the vote in her race.

Continuing Development

In 1998, there appeared to be a sort of detente among builders and residents.

The pressure that was there in 1996 seemed to have subsided and P&Z meetings

lacked the controversy they once featured.

"There seems to be more of a feeling that the land use boards and offices have

things in hand," Mr Rosenthal said.

Nevertheless, despite the decrease in emotions, the development moves along.

In 1998, P&Z approved The Homesteads at Newtown, a planned 298-unit housing

complex for the elderly on Mount Pleasant Road in Hawleyville. Construction is

expected to start this year. The project is the single largest private housing

complex ever planned for Newtown.

Walnut Tree Village, an age-restricted condominium complex on Walnut Tree Hill

Road, is seeking town permission to expand from 80 units to 213 units. Walnut

Tree Village was the town's first condo project. Construction began in 1995.

In 1998, the first condo complex without age restriction, Riverview

Condominiums, opened on Washbrook Road, behind Sand Hill Plaza. The planned

49-unit complex will contain some "affordable" condos for families meeting

certain income guidelines.

Whether the proposed Newtown Village will be built is still an open question.

D&H Homes, LLC, and Fairfield 2000 Homes Corporation want to build 96

individual houses on a 32-acre parcel off Route 34, adjacent to the Exit 11

on-ramp off Interstate 84. P&Z, however, rejected the proposal. In a move to

overturn the decision, the developers sued the town. The issue is currently

awaiting a court decision.

Land Preservation

Preservation of land continued to be a concern of Newtown residents and the

council agreed to create a land trust fund. It put $1 in the account with the

hopes that it will grow in the coming years.

With an eye toward acquiring more desirable open space land in residential

subdivisions, the P&Z last March approved revised open space rules, more

clearly stating the type of land P&Z wants developers to donate to the town or

in some land trust for passive recreational uses.

The Legislative Council spent a good part of 1998 listening to criticism from

residents over an ordinance designed to preserve Newtown's scenic roads.

Washbrook Road residents became enraged over the council's decision to deny

their road scenic status. They felt their road met all the criteria under the

scenic road ordinance. The controversy nearly prompted the council to get rid

of the ordinance altogether.

Getting Connected

Almost all property owners who have access to the municipal sewer system in

central Newtown are now connected. The $32.5 million system is intended to

resolve ground water pollution in the Borough, Sandy Hook center, and Taunton

Pond area. It was built between 1994 and 1997.

The Water Pollution Control Authority has recommended construction of a $4.8

million sewer system for the Hawleyville area.

Traffic Congestion

Along with Newtown's growth comes an increasing number of cars on the road. As

one person aptly put it: "Newtown's progress has traffic slowing to a stop."

Unfortunately, the death of a pedestrian on Main Street in October furthered

residents' concerns for traffic safety.

Some Good News

1998 was also the year Rich Rauner finally got a heart. But it took him a good

part of the year to get one. And the Lambos on Country Squire Road had a rare

father-son liver transplant.

Mr Rauner has been at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia since May 5,

being as patient as he could while awaiting a new heart. One week before

Christmas, a matching heart was found through the United Network for Organ

Sharing (UNOS). The surgery seems to have gone well, according to all reports,

and Mr Rauner may be home by the middle of January.

Meanwhile, Newtown Middle School seventh grader Jonathan Lambo underwent a

fairly new operation called living related transplant surgery in mid-December,

where he received part of the liver of his father, John. Jonathan was born

with a potentially fatal liver disorder called biliary artresia.

In October, The Bee pulled a fast one on some of its readers when it sold

blank papers to those who stopped to purchase the latest edition in front of

our Church Hill Road office. Candid Camera had its cameras rolling as stunned

readers were told there was no news that week, that the only thing available

to be printed were the Classified ads and the weather reports. The humorous

skit appeared nationwide on the CBS-TV show December 4.

The Bee promises to continue providing Newtown with the latest news in 1999.