Date: Fri 16-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-Rosenthal

Full Text:

Town Works To Prepare Itself For An Important Decision On Fairfield Hills

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Town of Newtown will have a 105-day window of opportunity to decide on

whether or not it wants to purchase the 186-acre core campus of Fairfield

Hills. That time period includes 45 days to indicate interest and 60 days to

negotiate a deal.

Local officials understand that that's not a lot of time when you are talking

about one of the most important decisions this town has made in more than half

a century.

The countdown begins sometime this summer when the state presents the town

with a price. Four private developers are also expected to make proposals.

However, the town will have right-of-first refusal.

"It's the pearl in the center of our town," noted State Rep Julia Wasserman.

"It's a major decision that this town will have to make."

It's a decision that will eventually be made by the taxpayers at a referendum.

That decision will depend on how voters answer some basic questions for

themselves: With its public water and sewers, will Fairfield Hills end up

becoming a magnet for affordable housing, condos, and apartments? If the town

buys the property, will it become an insatiable municipal money pit, with

hidden costs for myriad hidden liabilities?

"There needs to be a plan because we could be buying a lot of liability," Mrs

Wasserman said.

"That's why we need to do stuff now so when that happens we'll be in a

position to make a decision," First Selectman Herb Rosenthal adds.

The first selectman plans to hire consultants to help the town make the right

decision.

Last week, he recommissioned the Fairfield Hills advisory board to begin

gathering information. That board will be asked to make a recommendation to

the Board of Selectmen in June.

Last fall, the advisory committee recommended the town not purchase the

property, citing a high cost (around $10 million) and liability (large

buildings full of lead and asbestos). However, there has since been an

groundswell of support to purchase the property. Hundreds of petitioners have

told local officials that the land situated in the center of town has far too

much value to just let slip away.

In response, the Board of Selectmen re-activated its Fairfield Hills advisory

board and added four residents who advocate buying the land. Its mission

statement asks the board to review the pros and cons of the town's purchase

versus the pros and cons of sale to one of the four developers who have been

selected as finalists.

The committee is slated to meet Tuesday, April 20, at 7:30, in the Cyrenius

Booth Library. The public will be granted time to speak at the beginning of

the meeting.

Enforcing A Master Plan

If the town does not purchase the property, Mr Rosenthal is looking into ways

that will assure that the ultimate developer of the property sticks to the

master plan for the area as submitted to the Fairfield Hills Selection

Committee, which includes both state and town representatives.

This could be done through letters of credit, performance bonds and/or the

establishment of some sort of design district, according to Mr Rosenthal --

anything that will ensure Newtown does not end up with something other than

what had been proposed.

"There are provisions so that the town gets something if they don't live up to

what they promised," Mr Rosenthal said.

Mrs Wasserman believes any private developer would be bound to that master

plan by the Newtown's Planning & Zoning Commission. A developer would fall

under the authority of the local P&Z once it buys Fairfield Hills, she said.

"It must be acceptable to the commission. They are treated like any other

property owner," she said. "They will have to show that they are complying

with the law and then develop it accordingly."