FFH Survey Should Have Addressed Larger Questions

To the Editor:

Following is an edited version of a comment that I submitted with my Fairfield Hills (FFH) survey in May. Though the survey is now closed, the new FFH master plan is yet to be complete, and I wish to share a few points.

As voiced by other members of the town, I feel as if the survey pitted participants between big economic perspectives and pretty art and garden-type visions. I don’t think that it is healthy to facilitate this sort of division as Newtown moves forward. I don’t think we want two “sides” facing off, but a collaboration that results in the best possible plan for our future.

Do the suggestions in the survey comprise all the options that have been voiced for Fairfield Hills? Surely there are more uses for this space than big restaurants versus small restaurants.... Let’s think out-of-the-box: There was a brief mention of sustainable technology on one page. That is interesting. I would be impressed if the conversation included “no development” too, or rather, “restoration.”

The survey explained why “growth” and “development” are on people’s radar, but perhaps we can reconsider such goals for land use. What about a healthier town? What do we really want?

To be more clear, I think we need to zoom out further, beyond Newtown, Conn., and consider what our nation needs, or what the planet needs. I think we are missing the point if we believe that it’s possible to continue “growing” our way out of problems, unless that growth is local resilience.

I think that Fairfield Hills provides a phenomenal opportunity to do what only a few, though successful, towns have begun. I believe that we must work from the inside out to develop sustainable practices for ourselves and the landscapes we call home. Showcasing green technology is a step in the right direction, but Newtown doesn’t need big tech names to lead the way with expensive technology. A thriving, connected town is within our grasp if resources are wisely used.

At a community level, we can increase productive, low-energy land management. We can produce resources like food and even energy locally while reducing dependence on selfish industrial systems. We also have the means to restore plant, animal, and human communities.

Is expansion the only way to approach financial problems? What if the FFH campus and greater town were designed to encourage more efficient transportation? Residents and town vehicles alike would save fuel. Can reducing current expenses not also improve finances?

We could build an exemplary town, exciting and fulfilling to live in. Now is the time. We’ve asked what we want. What does the land want? Your children? What will we wish we did 50 years from today? At a time when rapid change is upon the country, increased disaster across the globe, volatile food and energy prices, and a climate in chaos, there is no better choice than to transition toward sustainability. This must be Newtown’s mission, and FFH is a precious asset on that adventure.

Thank you,

Andrew Mangold

49 Butterfield Road, Newtown                                   August 11, 2011