Scavenging

At Fairfield Hills

To the Editor:

“The Spookiest Place in Town.” [Newtown Bee 7/30/10] Norwalk Hall at Fairfield Hills! Shame on Newtown! The vultures have taken over. With $23,763,435 already expended and no more money in sight, town leaders recently announced an out-of-state developer is interested in converting Cochran House, a 193,563-square-foot Fairfield Hills building located on Mile Hill South, into 165 apartments. In the existing FFH Master Plan, the building was to be demolished and softball and baseball fields were planned to replace it. (Master Plan Figure 9 and p. 11) Add the acres needed for parking, etc, and Newtown will be changed forever!

While the need for lower cost housing is always present in any town, must we destroy forever a portion of this beautiful land, its lawns and trees, and its alluring open space charm? Surely, a different location, not FFH, can be found for apartments or condos if town leaders and the Planning and Zoning Commission want that to happen.

The citizens of Newtown own Fairfield Hills, but the Legislative Council gave the Board of Selectmen complete control of FFH as well as any money received for its use. (Local law – Ordinance 7/6/05) Only two votes of the Board of Selectmen are needed to proceed with any action at FFH. The council abdicated its “checks and balance” function in 2005.

Once the FFH Review Committee completes its report and makes its recommendations, the selectmen alone can decide the future of beautiful FFH. Will our leaders allow the “common folks” an opportunity to choose, by referendum, from among the recommendations made by this committee for the future of Newtown? Probably not!

The outlook is bleak! Fairfield Hills, the “crown jewel” of Newtown, is endangered. Will the vultures win?

Ruby Johnson, PhD

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                         August 10, 2010