Letters Of

Endorsement

To the Editor:

The Planning & Zoning Commission recently heard details of the once again revised selectmen’s planned reuse of FFH.

The good news: The P&Z meeting was intended to win approval for the Newtown Youth Academy to be constructed by longtime Newtown resident Peter D’Amico, who made the original offer four years ago to contribute this facility for the benefit of Newtown residents. Newtown architect Philip Clark presented his impressive rendering of the proposed recreation building. Mr D’Amico will pay for the construction and operation of this marvelous sports facility. Recreational facility such as this is long overdue and I support this project.

The bad news: The FFHA and the Board of Selectmen’s current plans will destroy the beautiful look and feel of this property through the use of extensive parking in the front of the campus, which is now dedicated for commercial development. A parking lot for 785 cars is planned near the front of the campus, which means approximately eight acres of beautiful, flat land will be black topped. (For comparison, Newtown High School has about 700 spaces plus Sandy Hook School with 85 = 785 spaces.) An additional 620 parking spaces, another six-plus acres, are required for necessary community-use parking in the rear of the campus to accommodate the new town hall, baseball field, Newtown Youth Academy, and a future Park & Recreation building.

More bad news: Commercial development on FFH may not produce the sustainable tax base to make a real impact on the property tax bill. The only “Return on Investment Report” completed for FFH shows we can expect about $250,000 yearly tax revenue or less than 1/10thof a mill (about $18.92 per average household taxpayer) for a 75,000-square-foot office building. Tech Park and Hawleyville areas designated for economic development may be more optimal.      

I believe the first selectman is rushing into signing lease agreements. Only an “interim” schematic parking plan and outdated traffic studies (not inclusive of Reed Intermediate School traffic flow) were presented to receive P&Z approval so that lease agreements can be expedited before Public Act 07-218 takes effect October 1, 2007, requiring a public hearing to fully disclose the terms of all such leases. Also, rapid progress on FFH is a campaign strategy for Mr Rosenthal.

The Rosenthal-appointed FFHA is willing to destroy this beautiful site for less than 1/10th of a mill. Newtown is expected to grow by 49 percent in the coming years. If we don’t set aside FFH for future municipal land needs now, where will we find the land in 30 or 40 years?

Let’s replace the Rosenthal administration and the Rosenthal Republican Legislative Council. We need real Republicans, Joseph Borst and Paul Mangiafico, to lead. I and the Independent Party of Newtown candidates for Legislative Council are in full support of Joe and Paul as they strive to put Newtown on a path for tomorrow.

Ruby Johnson

Legislative Council Petitioning Candidate, Unaffiliated

District Three

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                  September 26, 2007