Residents Question Free Health Clinic At Fairfield Hills

By Kendra Bobowick

The Board of Selectman heard criticisms Monday night of town plans to lease Kevin’s Community Center space at Fairfield Hills.

Kevin’s Community Center (KCC) provides free primary health care to persons over the age of 18 who are uninsured, underinsured, or have limited financial resources.

“I am confused,” said resident Ruby Johnson. “I have heard that KCC is no longer taking just Newtown residents, but anyone who comes.” Also, the town’s current Capital Improvement Plan lists a $350,000 request to bring infrastructure to the duplex loop — additional funds that a $500,000 state grant marked for use to renovate one of the buildings for the KCC does not accommodate. Adding together these pieces of information, she concluded, “It appears Newtown is putting up infrastructure to help anyone who comes.”

Resident Robin Fitzgerald aired her concerns about KCC’s relocation to the former state hospital campus.

“Why go ahead with plans for KCC in that location? There are other sites that should be considered,” she said.

Buildings are for sale or lease on Mt Pleasant Road and elsewhere in town, she said. Couldn’t they serve the KCC, she asked? “Hold off until we have all the details,” she insisted.

First Selectman Pat Llodra, who has stated in the past that she favors the KCC’s relocation to the Fairfield Hills duplex area, described the center’s search for a new home. Originally KCC was looking at space in Newtown Hall when Danbury Hospital was considering a lease agreement to move programming there. When Danbury backed out, the grant for $500,000, which the town has had for several years, was also no longer executable for KCC at Newtown Hall. The grant was then modified so the duplexes were identified and not Newtown Hall. The state had issue a modified grant per the town’s request.

More recently, the town and education board offices on Peck’s Lane relocated to the new municipal center and KCC — also at Peck’s Lane — needed a new home.

To date, Mrs Llodra said, “We have $500,000 for the purpose of relocating KCC to Fairfield Hills.” (See related story).

Selectman Will Rodgers sought clarification that the $350,000 of CIP funds for infrastructure was intended “for the entire area” where duplexes are located.

“It brings utilities to the area whether it’s KCC or not,” Mrs Llodra said.

Mentioning that he had seen Kevin’s Community Center recently, Mr Rodgers said, “I was astounded to see the crowds.”

“It serves a population that is needy,” Mrs Llodra replied. The KCC serves the towns of Newtown, Roxbury, and Bridgewater, which are in the Newtown Health District.

Selectman Bill Furrier clarified, “What I am hearing [is that] people have reservations about spending money on infrastructure for just KCC. I try to explain it is for the loop [of duplexes] — maybe we need to make a better effort to explain.”

During a phone call Tuesday, Mr Rodgers added that Ms Fitzgerald’s comments were “uncluttered from facts.” As the state may be “looking for excuses to retract grants,” he does not believe the $500,000 funds the town has for the KCC “can be switched.” The medical clinic at Fairfield Hills is a “two-for” benefiting both Fairfield Hills and the KCC, he said. Like Mrs Llodra, he is also “totally in favor” of locating the facility at Fairfield Hills.

“Where I differ with [Mr Furrier] and [Ms Fitzgerald] is the continued paranoia that Fairfield Hill is sinister and must be opposed. It’s just a location, not Fairfield Hills and a sinister master plan [for redevelopment],” Mr Rodgers said. “It’s where things happen, like all over town, like roads and developments elsewhere. You can’t be totally opposed to all things Fairfield Hills.”