P&Z Backs 5/6 School Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has endorsed a proposal to construct a new public Grade 5/6 school at the site of Watertown Hall at the town-owned property at Fairfield Hills.

P&Z members endorsed school construction in a 4-to-1 vote, with member Heidi Winslow opposed.

Before the vote, P&Z Chairman Daniel Fogliano, who endorsed the proposal, said, “I think we all know it’s coming. I think we know it’s a done deal.” Mr Fogliano said a new grade 5/6 school is needed to address a growing public school student population.

P&Z members had scant discussion on the topic at their September 7 meeting.

The P&Z had thoroughly discussed the school construction proposal at an August public hearing which addressed two issues: creating a new land use zone specifically for public schools, known as a PS zone, and also rezoning the Watertown Hall site from its Conservation/Agriculture (CA) zone to the new PS zoning designation.

In two split decision votes at the August session, the P&Z approved creating the PS zone and also approved rezoning the Watertown Hall site for public school use, as preliminary steps toward the construction of the Grade 5/6 school. Ms Winslow had opposed both measures.

Ms Winslow objected to the changes, saying she was dismayed that another location for a school could not be found, rather than taking such a large amount of land out of the CA zone.

The majority of P&Z members had agreed that the new zoning designation is consistent with the public need to provide schools within town, and that the new designation will enhance the future development of public school properties, as well as economically benefit the town.

The P&Z majority also decided that: the rezoning reflects the need to build a new public school, will enhance the redevelopment of Fairfield Hills, and will economically benefit the town.

At the August session, School Superintendent John Reed told P&Z members that much research into sites for a new school has been done, adding that the Fairfield Hills site is the only locally available property large enough to accommodate a new school. The proposed school, which is intended to house about 1,100 students, is projected to cost $33.2 million. Watertown Hall would be demolished to make way for a new school.

The state transferred ownership of the Fairfield Hills site to the town in 1998 as part of an agreement which settled the town’s lawsuit against the state over the construction of Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high security prison on Nunnawauk Road. The 22.6-acre Fairfield Hills site currently holds Watertown Hall, which is a former dormitory building, and also holds a multi-bay garage, and fields.

Voters have given the Grade 5/6 school construction project a preliminary approval at a town meeting.