Date: Fri 26-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-Selectmen

Full Text:

Residents Press For Fairfield Hills Purchase

(with photos)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal put it all out on the table for residents

Monday night -- the town of Newtown will have to pay the state $12 million for

Fairfield Hills. And that's only the half of it -- he told them, the massive

buildings on the site are a huge liability, and the cost to demolish them is

estimated to be $8 million.

That's $20 million right off the top, the first selectman noted.

But money did not appear to be an issue with many of the 40 or so residents

who turned out for this week's special meeting at the Cyrenius Booth Library.

They just want the town to buy the 186-acre core campus of Fairfield Hills.

This is a golden opportunity to acquire what some consider to be the heart of

the town, they said. To let it slip on by would be the kind of mistake this

growing town would regret down the road.

Robin Callahan was among many who urged the Board of Selectmen to reconsider

its position on Fairfield Hills. She argued that in the hands of the town, the

property will be re-used in Newtown's best interest. If the property is in the

hands of a private developer, she said, Newtown's interest might take a back

seat.

For Mrs Callahan, a High Rock Road resident, the mere thought of that 186-acre

parcel being used to build more residential housing has her feeling uneasy.

"If we give it away, we'll be driving down Wasserman Way one day saying `God,

how did we let that happen,'" she said.

Her statements were echoed by others who think the town should purchase the

land no matter what the cost.

"Shoot for the stars and the moon," they told the selectmen. "Shoot for

innovation."

"Don't assume the people don't want to pay additional taxes in order to buy

this land. It's too big for that," said George Peters of 16 Hyvue Drive.

But it does not appear as if town officials are going to be swayed. They want

cold hard facts before they ask the Legislative Council to start dolling out

that kind of money. They must ask themselves: Does the town really want to buy

a cluster of massive, institutional buildings -- filled with lead and

asbestos?

"Our job is to make sure that, in reality, it is a good choice to purchase the

property," explained Selectman Bill Brimmer. "If it was just the land it would

be a no-brainer."

But open space is only a very small part of the package. The property includes

one million square feet of enclosed space, much of which does not lend itself

to use by the town, Mr Rosenthal said.

"All our space needs would not fill a quarter of Kent House, and that is one

of about 17 buildings that size," said Mr Rosenthal. He noted that it costs

the state $1 million just to guard and maintain the site each year.

When the state first put Fairfield Hills on the market, hundreds of

construction firms expressed interest. Twelve actually applied for

consideration and of those, four were selected as finalist. By June, a top

applicant is expected to be chosen. However, before any papers are signed, the

state must give the town right-of-first-refusal. That offer may come this

summer.

Last fall, a committee of Newtown residents recommended against the purchase,

citing the overall cost and liability.

"The recommendation was let's not jump into this with no plan," noted advisory

committee member George Jamison this week. "There are some very serious

economical considerations. It could cost $10-15 million just to clean it up."

In 1986, the state estimated it would cost nearly $250,000 to take care of

asbestos and lead problems in Watertown Hall's 32,000 square feet. Imagine

what it would cost today, Mr Rosenthal said. And that is just one of many

buildings that would have to be cleaned.

The Board of Selectmen plans to hire a consultant to help the town understand

what it would be committing itself to.

"I plan to hire a firm to help us review the environmental issues of the

property and the economic impact," Mr Rosenthal said. "The economic study

would have two parts. First, what is the impact of the town if we were to

purchase property and try to develop it ourselves. Secondly, to look at the

four proposals and assess how their presence will impact the town."

What About The Buildings?

"What do you do with the buildings? That's probably the number one question,"

Mr Brimmer said.

Bridgette Kellogg and Ruby Johnson know what they would like to do with the

three buildings on the green near the hospital's main entrance.

"Those buildings on the green could be used for town office buildings," Mr

Kellogg said.

Mrs Johnson has envisioned town offices at Fairfield Hills all along. She was

among the petitioners who first asked the selectmen to rethink their position.

On Monday, she reiterated her belief that the purchase of Fairfield Hills

takes care of Newtown's space problems until the town is fully built. That's

an estimated population of 35,000, a number that could grow even higher if

Fairfield Hills was ever to be developed.

"Let's buy it while we have the chance so that the town will have the land in

perpetuity," she said.

Frank Cooper of 36 Chestnut Hill Road said he grew up in Shelton -- a town

that now regrets blowing opportunities to buy land.

"Their needs are now exceeding what they have to develop," he said. "We need

to learn from the mistakes of other communities. This land won't come around

again."

Dan Shea of Queen Street wondered what the impact to the town would be if an

outside firm did come in.

"I live on Queen Street. What's going to happen to Queen Street?" he asked.

Others are concerned that some very big decisions are going to be made at the

eleventh hour.

Michael Flores worries about the fate of the existing ballfields at Fairfield

Hills. They may be lost when and if an outside developer comes in, he said.

"Where else in town are there 185 acres for sale and how much would it cost,"

he wondered.

Mr Flores suggested the town purchase the land, keep what it needs, and sell

the rest if it has to. "As long as Newtown decides it and the state of

Connecticut does not."

Keeping An Open Mind

Mr Rosenthal stated that he is not averse to purchasing the land, but wonders

if it is realistic. Newtown's debt service now represents 8.5 percent of the

overall budget. That figure is inching closer and closer to the 10 percent

threshold which Moodys Investment Service suggests towns avoid.

"I'm keeping an open mind, but the first selectman has the responsibility to

make sure we don't get ourselves into something without knowing all the facts.

I have to take a cautious and skeptical view as far as the town's purchasing

the land, just as I must be with the four prospective developers," Mr

Rosenthal said.

Newtown's debt per capita is sixth highest in the state and could become the

highest by buying Fairfield Hills, which would be one of several other large

capital costs, including a school for grades five and six, which is currently

under consideration.

"The numbers as far as we know right now are astronomical and scary," noted

Legislative Council chairman Pierre Rochman.

Mr Rosenthal said the town may be able to negotiate some benefits out of the

prospective buyers -- two of which were at Monday's meeting. One applicant has

already included ballfields and other open space to the town in its proposal.

Other possibilities include land for new schools and other municipal space.

Still focused on the town's need to purchase the property, residents urged the

selectmen to avoid the mistakes of years past. Several of them brought up the

Italian Community Center (ICC) field, which the town chose not to acquire in

the 1970s. That land along Route 34 has since been developed.

"We tend to do things after the fact," noted Paul Miles, suggesting the town

start to take part in more forward thinking this time around.

Al Kramer suggested the town look at the purchase as an investment. Newtown

will have some big expenses early on, but will realize the money down the

road, he said.

Joe Borst, both a council and advisory board member, said he was impressed

with the turnout. In the past, he said, residents opted to bury their heads in

the sand whenever the purchase of property came up.