Date: Fri 10-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

FHH-Town-Hall-South-move

Full Text:

with photo... Town Employee Move To Fairfield Hills Due Next Month

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Contractors have begun renovations inside a Fairfield Hills Hospital building

this week in preparation for a temporary move to the site by Town Hall South

employees in early February.

Water continues to seep into Town Hall South, which has been ravaged by

flooding and general deterioration in recent years. Canaan House is expected

to provide a much safer and healthier environment.

"We're pushing very hard and hoping for a February 1 move in," said First

Selectman Bob Cascella.

Workers have been erecting partition walls, adding electrical outlets and

installing a phone system within the more than 8,000-square-feet of space the

town will use.

The first selectman said he expected a final lease price late this week from

the state's Department of Public Works and would then call special meetings of

the Board of Selectmen and Legislative Council for approval.

Department heads from Town Hall South visited the building earlier this week

to get an idea of what their working environment will be like. In addition to

being weatherproof, Canaan House also has many windows. That should please the

parks and recreation staff, which has no windows in its current home in Town

Hall South.

Originally, town officials had expected the temporary move to last about 18

month to two years, but with no plans for a permanent site yet finalized,

there's no telling how long the 20-plus employees may be working at Fairfield

Hills.

Town Hall South houses the police department upstairs and land-use agencies,

building offices and the parks & recreation and health departments downstairs.

The police department will remain at Town Hall South.

Canaan House has two large conference rooms which are expected to be used for

Conservation Commission, Parks & Recreation Commission, Zoning Board of

Appeals, and health district meetings.

Security at Fairfield Hills is provided by Pinkerton Security.

At a cost of $840,000, Mr Cascella had planned to renovate Town Hall South,

but that proposal was turned down by taxpayers in August. From there, Mr

Cascella and State Rep Julia Wasserman approached the state for permission to

move to Fairfield Hills.