Town Seeks Topsoil Transfer

By Steve Bigham

The town is hoping to change its land use regulations to allow the transfer of 2,500 cubic yards of excess topsoil from the 5/6 school site to the rear of Newtown High School.

The Board of Education is currently in need of large amounts of topsoil for the reconfiguration of its rear athletic fields and the site of the new school has plenty to go around. However, local land-use laws prevent the movement of topsoil from one place to another and the town is subject to the same rules as everyone else.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said allowing the school board to move the topsoil to the high school will save the town as much as $55,000. In a June 28 letter to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Dr Reed asked the first selectman to work with the Planning & Zoning Commission to “help us achieve this.”

On Monday, the Board of Selectmen agreed to have First Selectman Herb Rosenthal request the regulation be amended to state that the movement of topsoil is allowed “if it’s in the public interest and that it be subject to approval by a land use officer.”

The issue is expected to show up on a Planning & Zoning Commission agenda later this summer.