Date: Fri 24-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-Forum

Full Text:

Residents Review Fairfield Hills Plans

(with photos)

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Residents attending a public forum Tuesday night on the three competing

proposals for the private mixed-use redevelopment of the Fairfield Hills core

campus posed some tough questions to the would-be developers, seeking to gauge

the impact that the construction proposals would have on the town's future.

Representatives of Spectrum Skanska/SBC Associates, LLC, of Greenwich; Wilder

Balter Partners, LLC, of Elmsford, N.Y.; and Becker and Becker Associates,

Inc, of New Canaan presented their redevelopment proposals and took questions

from about 250 people who attended the session at Newtown High School

auditorium.

Although details of the three competing plans were disclosed in July, the

session gave residents an opportunity to size up the prospective developers

and ask questions about what they have in mind for the 186-acre state parcel

up for sale, which contains 1.2 million square feet of enclosed space in 17

major buildings.

What becomes of the former state psychiatric hospital, which closed in

December 1995 in an era of patient "deinstitutionalization," has come to be

viewed as an influence on the town's future.

Copies of the three redevelopment proposals are available for public review at

Booth Library, 25 Main Street. Detailed summaries of the proposals are

available at The Bee 's Web site on the World Wide Web section of the Internet

at www.thebee.com

Richard Nuclo, director of assets management for the state Office of Policy

and Management (OPM), has been handling the state's disposition of Fairfield

Hills since 1993. As chairman of the joint state-town Fairfield Hills

Selection Committee, Mr Nuclo attended the Tuesday night session to learn

public sentiment about the property's future.

"I think we're very anxious to hear what people think of each of the

proposals," he said. "We're not going to rush," he said, adding that the

future of Fairfield Hills is a major decision facing the state and the town.

The selection committee's goal is to balance the interests of the town and the

state in finding new uses for the property, he said.

Mr Nuclo said the issues raised by the public will be used by the selection

committee in seeking yet more detailed information from the developers about

their proposals. Mr Nuclo said the public asked the developers excellent

questions.

State Rep Julia Wasserman, a member of the selection committee, commented, "I

think it's a critical point because we have three good applications before

us."

First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal said he was very impressed with the

questions of the public, and with the research a number of people had done on

the proposals.

Mr Rosenthal said the development plan which is eventually implemented at

Fairfield Hills could be very different from the three plans now under

consideration. The first selectman said he is impressed that all three

developers said they are flexible about changing their plans as needed.

Spectrum Skanska

Spectrum Skanska proposes "Legacy at Newtown," a 550-unit housing development

which would largely consist of age-restricted homes, including senior and

assisted living residences, live/work spaces, neighborhood retail,

professional offices, a country inn, recreational and open spaces, plus public

uses. The firm proposes a children's museum, a library, plus three sites where

the town could construct public facilities.

Mitchell Hochberg, president of Spectrum Skanska, told residents, "Legacy will

enhance the benefits of living in Newtown." Mr Hochberg said the firm is the

fourth largest construction company in the US and has $4 billion in annual

revenue. Spectrum Skanska has built $500 million worth of residential

communities within 50 miles of Newtown, he said.

Project architect Barry Berkus said the company would design a complex

intended to mitigate sprawl and provide the feel of a "walking village."

Important architectural elements at Fairfield Hills such as towers and cupolas

would be removed from buildings and positioned on the site as landmarks, he

said. A renovated Greenwich House would be used as a 126-unit assisted living

complex, he added.

Mr Hochberg said the Spectrum Skanska plan would have minimal impact on the

school-age population because 75 percent of the proposed housing units would

be age-restricted. The proposed development would generate a $2.5 million

annual net increase in property tax revenue, he said.

He described Spectrum Skanska's proposal as "creating a new traditional home

town."

One resident asked whether Spectrum's proposal meets the specifications of the

Planning and Zoning Commission's (P&Z) Fairfield Hills Adaptive Re-use (FHAR)

zoning regulations for the property, to which Mr Hochberg responded it does

not. The Spectrum proposal exceeds the current developmental limitations

placed on the property by the P&Z, but Spectrum would seek to have the P&Z

approve Spectrum's plan, he said.

One man expressed surprise that the Spectrum plan doesn't provide athletic

fields for public use, saying there is a current local need for 15 more

playing fields.

Michael Kelley, president of the Newtown Booster Club, also expressed concerns

about a lack of fields in the developer's plans. He asked for more detailed

information than had been provided by Spectrum Skanska.

Mr Hochberg said that if having playing fields is an important issue to the

town, the company could reduce the development's density and add some playing

fields to the project.

One resident asked what steps the developer would take to protect the

underlying Pootatuck Aquifer.

Hydrogeologist Russell Slayback, representing the developer, said definite

steps would be taken to protect the underground drinking water source. Such

steps would be determined as the project is planned in detail, he said.

One resident pointed out that after Heritage Village was built in Southbury,

elderly residents at that condominium complex who had no children in that

town's public school system often voted down spending proposals concerning

public education, suggesting that Newtown could expect such a situation if

Legacy at Newtown is built.

Wilder Balter

Wilder Balter Partners, LLC, proposes "Renaissance at Fairfield Hills," a

master-planned, gated nine-hole golf course community combining market-rate

and affordable housing, recreational and commercial uses, as well as open

space areas. The privately-owned golf course would be open to the public on a

pay-to-play basis. Town residents would get a discount to play golf. The

550-unit housing complex would have a variety of housing types and styles for

sale and rent.

Wilder Balter would retain the Fairfield Hills green and the three buildings

which surround it -- Shelton House, Newtown Hall and Woodbury Hall --

redeveloping them for assisted living facilities. New construction would

include 150 attached single-family homes for the elderly, 100 townhouses and

200 new rental apartments.

Robert Wilder, Jr, and William Balter are partners in the New York State firm.

The firm is seeking to comply with the developmental limitations placed on the

property by the P&Z, according to the partners. Also, the company has done

extensive environmental testing on the property to gauge the extent of

contamination there, they say.

If the company were able to use a portion of Fairfield Hills currently

off-limits to development, it would prefer to build an 18-hole golf course.

Other than residentially developing the property, Wilder Balter is offering a

purchase option to the town under which the company would demolish the

buildings which the town does not want and clean up the environmental problems

on the site.

In response to a question, the partners said they are willing to negotiate

with the town about creating a Grade 5/6 school at Fairfield Hills.

Local developer George Trudell asked the partners about their experience in

the residential development field, querying them about the largest project

they have done, how Renaissance at Fairfield Hills would be financed, and

whether they would take on partners to accomplish their goals.

The partners responded by stating that they envision an $85 million

development for Fairfield Hills, adding that they have not done any single

project of that size in the past.

The partners also fielded questions about bonding for the project, playing

fields and the water supply for the property.

Becker And Becker

Becker and Becker proposes a varied reuse of Fairfield Hills including 360

housing units, a community center, family YMCA, expanded athletic fields, an

extended-stay hotel, medical offices, corporate offices, a child day care

center, a grade 5/6 public school, municipal offices, a police station and a

cultural/arts center.

Unlike the other developers, Becker and Becker would not demolish any

buildings at Fairfield Hills.

Bruce Becker, president of the firm, said the state's sale of the property can

become a national model for historic preservation which fulfills community

needs.

Mr Becker said representatives of his firm have met with many people seeking

to organize new uses for the various buildings at Fairfield Hills. More than

half the area of the core campus would be designated as open space, he said,

with the Newtown Forest Association and the Newtown Bridle Lands Association

given the stewardship of open space. "We can make Fairfield Hills the

centerpiece of a town-wide greenways program," he said.

The firm's proposal for the redevelopment of the property would save Newtown

time and money in acquiring needed public facilities, he said. The proposal

would provide three sites for public schools, Mr Becker added.

The new uses proposed for Fairfield Hills are based on facilities needed by

the community, he said. He termed the company's proposal "a broad and balanced

mix of uses comparable to a traditional New England village."

The $120 million development project would result in a $1.5 million net annual

fiscal benefit to the town, he said.

"If selected, we are eager to work out the details of these plans with the

town and the community," he said.

Audience members asked Mr Becker a variety of questions seeking detailed

explanations about how the private-public partnership between his firm and the

town would work in terms of finances and property ownership.

Legislative Council Chairman Pierre Rochman asked Mr Becker what it would cost

the town if the company were to develop Fairfield Hills with town uses. Mr

Becker responded that all the details have yet to be worked out, but it is

estimated the town would save about $10 million compared to the town taking on

the several municipal facilities projects on its own. Creating a new school at

Cochran House at Fairfield Hills would be much less expensive than building a

completely new school, he said. Much of the asbestos which had been in Cochran

House already has been removed from the building by the state, Mr Becker

added.

Mr Becker said his firm is ready to talk with the first selectman about

financial aspects of a joint private-public redevelopment of Fairfield Hills,

but has been prevented from doing so because the first selectman is a member

of the Fairfield Hills Selection Committee. Mr Becker asked that the town

designate someone for such talks with the firm.

At the forum, resident Ruby Johnson, an advocate of the town buying Fairfield

Hills, collected signatures from residents toward that goal.

Ms Johnson said town participation in a redevelopment project with Becker and

Becker would be expensive. She asked Mr Becker whether the town would have to

commit itself to public funding for redevelopment work before Becker and

Becker completes a purchase agreement with the state. She also asked what the

company would do if the town decides against pursuing some aspects of the

plan.

The company would proceed with an acquisition of the property without a

commitment from the town, but it would prefer such commitment, Mr Becker said.

One resident asked whether the company would be willing to seek corporate and

educational tenants for the property rather than creating a large amount of

housing for the elderly there.

Mr Becker replied that the firm would be willing to seek commercial users for

the property.

"We're really not wedded to a single use," he said.