The 12-member Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission (SHPMC), which includes family members who lost loved ones 12/14, was charged in September 2013 with determining if a permanent memorial was desired, what that might look like, and where that memorial might be situated. Commission members have applied themselves to the task, and through surveys, have determined that a permanent memorial of some kind is desired. Now comes the task of what and where. Or is it where and what?

In November, the SHPMC announced that a portion of the High Meadow at Fairfield Hills provides the optimal location for a 12/14 memorial. “All future conversations will center on this piece of land,” Memorial Commission Chairman Kyle Lyddy told The Newtown Bee. A GIS graphic of the proposed plan depicts a walking access via an eight-foot-wide crushed stone dust trail along the tree line at the far edge of the meadow, located at the end of Keating Farms Avenue, with two or three parking spaces near the memorial, tucked into the far corner of the property.

There are challenges with the space, admits Mr Lyddy, and details such as the pathway “are too premature to speak of.” People who regularly walk the current pathway by the High Meadows know that it is a haven for flora and fauna, some of it rare. Creation of an additional walkway and a mowed path to a viewing bench near the nearly one-acre piece of property will disturb, temporarily if not permanently, some of that biological habitat. Increased foot (and some handicapped access) traffic will put additional pressure on that key ecosystem.

As important, though, is what visitors will find at the memorial site. By focusing on this one property, it seems the commission is setting parameters for what that permanent memorial will be. The commission will open the process for design and selection in 2016, seeking ideas from the public and professionals alike. Clearly, proposals that have already been presented, such as a memorial park, are out of consideration if the High Meadow site is selected. Will designs be overlooked because they do not suit the space allocated?

That the commission plans to create a request for proposals for those submitting designs, and may provide nonprofessionals with design support, suggests that the design may be steered to accommodate the High Meadow site.

Newtown received more than 100 proposals for memorials in the months following 12/14. It would not be surprising if an additional 100 proposals are submitted at the commission’s request this coming year. What will be the criteria in choosing? A fitting memorial, or a memorial that fits?

Talks with the Conservation Commission, Parks and Recreation, the Fairfield Hills Authority, and the local police continue as the commission seeks to bring this proposal to fruition. They are conversations that need to take place.

The SHPMC has asked the Conservation Commission to respond with recommendations on the High Meadow, “understanding their group has worked hard to preserve that land,” said Mr Lyddy.

We hope the impact on this particular piece of land, and on the memorial design, of preselecting a space will be carefully examined. As the commission reviews design proposals, we urge it to remain open to properties that may come to light and meet the check list determined by the surveys.

There is no need to hurry this process.