Date: Fri 04-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-costs

Full Text:

Fairfield Purchase Issue Won't Go Away, Despite Possible Costs

BY STEVE BIGHAM

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal believes it would be easy to gain support for

the town's purchase of Fairfield Hills. The hard part, he said, is finding a

consensus on what to do with it.

There are a multitude of possible uses for the land. Some residents want to

see the 186-acre core campus used for open space, while others would rather

see it used for recreational purposes, especially ball fields. Some have

suggested re-selling the property to a developer -- on terms favorable to the

town. And there are still others who would like to see some of the on-site

buildings used for municipal space, such as town hall and emergency services.

Those options will remain just pipe dreams if the town decides not to purchase

the land. That decision will hinge on cost, as well as the proposals due to be

submitted by four private developers by July 12. Each developer will bid on

the land and submit plans for what they plan to do. Early indications show the

developers proposing mixed uses with an emphasis on residential housing.

The development proposals will then be considered by an eight-member committee

made up of state and local officials, which will then debate the plans through

early September. Before any decision is made, however, the town will

ultimately be given right-of-first-refusal on the land. The town will then

have 45 days to indicate an interest in the purchase and another 60 days to

negotiate a price with the state's Office of Policy and Management (OPM).

Mr Rosenthal, sounding more sanguine about a town purchase of the land than he

has in the past, believes the cost will likely fall below the $8 million mark

-- considerably less expensive than what had been expected. However, when it

comes to overall costs, the actual purchase is only the tip of the iceberg.

"The least expensive part of the proposition is actually buying the land," Mr

Rosenthal said. A recent study by Arthur Anderson suggested it could cost as

much as $7 million to tear down the existing buildings.

A Key Question

The second installment of the Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee has been

charged with answering the question: Should Newtown buy Fairfield Hills?

Its charge is to weigh the pros and cons of buying the land against the option

of allowing an outside developer to determine the fate of the land. Heading

the group is six-year Newtown resident Michael Floros, who helped circulate a

petition urging the town to reconsider purchasing Fairfield Hills back in

January.

Last fall, the original advisory committee recommended against purchasing

Fairfield Hills. However, an outpouring of support to buy Fairfield Hills

prompted Mr Rosenthal to re-commission the board, adding a handful of new

members. Those new members include Ruby Johnson, Alvah Cramer, James Osborne,

Jack Ryan, Pat Denlinger and Mr Floros -- each of whom have voiced support for

the purchase of the property.

Mr Osborne has been outspoken in his feeling that Fairfield Hills -- "the

heart of Newtown" -- should remain in the town's control to ensure that it

retains its beauty. There are many others who agree. They believe Fairfield

Hills holds the key to many of Newtown's growth problems -- mainly, excessive

development, poor municipal facilities and a lack of sports fields.

"The general feeling I have is that everyone has become a lot more positive

about the possibility of buying the property," Mr Floros said.

Upon the recommendation of Mr Cramer, each committee member has been assigned

to find out from residents what they "want" and "do not want" to see at

Fairfield Hills. They plan on conducting an informal poll with friends and

neighbors. Those they don't reach are asked to share their thoughts at a June

24 meeting at the senior center on Riverside Road.

"We want to find out what people feel Newtown needs. Is it senior housing,

affordable housing, schools, ball fields, a golf course? Then we need to

determine if any of the developers' plans meet these needs. If a developer

meets all the requirements of the town, then there is no reason for us to get

involved in the purchase," noted Mr Floros.

However, the town must be ready to purchase the property if the developers'

plans do not fit in with the needs of the town, he said.

But will there be a unanimous recommendation from this 16-member group? That

question has not yet been answered, although Mr Floros said there has been no

hint of discord on the panel to date.

"We're still in the fact-finding stage," he said.

Next week, the board is slated to tour the Fairfield Hills site and buildings.