Fairfield Hills Street Work Earns STEAP Boost

By Kendra Bobowick

Every bit helps.

In this case, a $300,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant will be designated largely for parking and streetscape work in the vicinity of Woodbury and Newtown Halls at Fairfield Hills. Fairfield Hills Authority Chairman Robert Geckle told board members Tuesday that they had the grant in hand.

“This will directly offset using bond money,” Mr Geckle said. The $300,000 also steps in where anticipated funds fell through after potential tenants backed out of tentative deals to occupy the duplexes and Stratford Hall. A change in town leadership during the past year’s November elections shook their confidence, according to Mr Geckle.

When added to the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) $200,000 awarded recently that will contribute to abatement mostly at Woodbury Hall, Mr Geckle noted that work is “finally” visible and moving quickly to revamp the old brick buildings and scenic grounds and bring the bustle of municipal and private business to the quiet brick and stone remainders of a formerly busy cluster. Already in high profile is the Newtown Youth Academy, a roughly 89,000-square-foot indoor sports structure funded by resident and private developer Peter D’Amico.

The $300,000 grant will contribute to costs for materials, asphalt, town crews to complete work on the basic layout, and lighting in the parking lots, among other items, Mr Geckle explained. Public Works Director Frederick Hurley confirmed that the heavy machinery and mounds of earth and graded areas visible near Newtown Hall and Woodbury Hall are signs of the work that has already begun.

“It’s nothing exotic.” No Ferris wheels or glamorous designs, Mr Hurley quipped. “It’s diagonal parking in front of Newtown and Woodbury and a generous amount of handicapped spots.” Visitors to the campus can enter the network of streets at the light on Wasserman Way across from Trade’s Lane near the Reed Intermediate School. Pass the small house at the entrance and move to the first stop sign. Stay right after the stop sign and find the green where Newtown and Woodbury face each other. Mr Hurley’s crews will be finishing the basic paving on lots behind the buildings and adjacent to the tennis courts, cleaning up areas unsuitable to sustain paving and other grounds work. But the $300,000 cannot cover everything.

“There are certain things it can’t cover and we can’t absorb by doing the work,” Mr Hurley said. The paving and sidewalks will be installed by contractors. “It’s just not something we do everyday,” he explained. Already underway, he hopes to see his crews’ portion of the work completed by Thanksgiving, he said. “Barring [weather], we should wrap it up by the winter.”

The green between the two buildings will receive a special touch from the Rotary Club of Newtown, which has plans to improve and beautify the 54-foot-wide strip.

Per the Master Plan for Redevelopment, the town is responsible for the streets and parking areas to serve tenants who sign a lease and move into Fairfield Hills. Tenants’ common charge fees will cover the maintenance, plowing, lighting, etc.