Selectmen Recommend Bridgeport Hall Be Added To FFH Master Plan

By John Voket

On Wednesday evening, the Board of Selectmen voted to recommend a modification to the Master Plan of Development for Fairfield Hills that would include naming Bridgeport Hall as the proposed site of new municipal offices.

Before the meeting, Mr Rosenthal told The Bee that the measure was supposed to be part of new business at the last selectmen’s meeting, but the item never made it onto the agenda. The Legislative Council was scheduled to meet the same evening, in part, to discuss future developments at Fairfield Hills (see related story).

Mr Rosenthal explained that the proposed change to the master plan was requested by Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman William O’Neill.

“We’ve been talking about this for quite some time,” Mr Rosenthal said. “In order to go forward with town offices at Bridgeport Hall, Mr O’Neill said the selectmen have to request a modification of the master plan.”

The modification will also include plans to construct a pond and fountain at the site of the former Shelton Hall. That building was initially sanctioned for a new municipal office, but a review of structural issues showed the building had fallen into such a state of disrepair that it would be impractical, and financially prohibitive, to redevelop.

Instead, the building will be recommended for demolition, and in its place, a community pond and fountain will be installed. Mr Rosenthal said the collection pond would not only serve a positive environmental benefit to Deep Brook and the Pootatuck River, but could possibly qualify for state or federal grants.

“There are funds available to underwrite sustainable measures for water retention,” he said, “but we can turn it into an aesthetic benefit with ice skating in the winter, and surrounding benches to make it a focal point for the campus setting.”

Mr Rosenthal said the change to the master plan is a P&Z requirement, and that Mr O’Neill and Town Attorney David Groggins concurred the measure must be initiated by the Board of Selectmen.

“Regardless of when the municipal offices are constructed, we still have to have this modification in place,” Mr Rosenthal said.

While the P&Z has the latitude to act on the modification on its own, Mr Rosenthal said a public hearing on the measure would be recommended so residents could be heard.

“The public hearing needs to take place within 65 days of tonight’s action. Then the P&Z has 65 more days in which to act,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Selectman Joseph Bojnowski was enthused as he recommended the proposal.

“People know I’m very much in favor of the plan and all for the demolition of Shelton Hall. So I want to move this to P&Z to act on the modification,” Mr Bojnowski said.