Fairfield Hills—

Residents Oppose Cochran House Housing Conversion

By Andrew Gorosko

At a May 5 public hearing on a Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) proposal to revise the Fairfield Hills Adaptive Reuse (FHAR) zoning regulations to allow Cochran House there to be converted for use as an apartment building, a large majority of residents speaking told P&Z members that they oppose such a zoning rule change.

It was the second time that the P&Z had received such a message from residents. At an April 7 public hearing, the P&Z had heard similar comments. About 30 residents attended the May 5 session, compared to the approximately 80 people who were present at the April 7 meeting.

Randall Dieckman of 8 Kaechele Drive, who is the president of Cal Ripken Baseball in Newtown, told P&Z members that allowing Cochran House to be converted into an apartment building would create parking problems in the area. Cochran House stands next to Glander Field, a two-field complex used for local youth baseball.

If existing parking areas near Cochran House were no longer available for youth baseball, it would create parking difficulties for youth baseball, he said. Having an apartment building next to the baseball fields would negatively affect youth baseball, he said.

Rick Tondreau of 57 Mile Hill Road South opposed allowing apartments at Cochran House due to traffic concerns. An apartment building would generate much traffic on Mile Hill Road South, he said. Mr Tondreau suggested that Fairfield Hills be used as the site for a nine-hole golf course with an entrance from Wasserman Way.

Bruce Walczak of 12 Glover Avenue told P&Z members that the town purchased Fairfield Hills from the state in 2004 in part to prevent housing from being created there. The municipal costs stemming from the presence of such housing at Fairfield Hills would exceed the revenue that the town would gain through property taxes, he said.

The multistory, 188,000-square-foot Cochran House was used for patient treatment and housing when Fairfield Hills was a state psychiatric hospital in the past. The building was constructed in 1956.

The P&Z conducted the public hearing in view of a development firm’s interest in creating multifamily housing in Cochran House. A New York City developer has proposed a 160-unit apartment complex, but has not submitted an application for the project because the zoning regulations do not allow such a use there.

Kevin Fitzgerald of 24 Old Farm Hill Road said that overall, the expenses that the town would face stemming from the presence of apartment housing at Cochran House would exceed the revenue that it would gain.

David Steiner of 6 Nunnawauk Road said, “I think there should be no housing at Fairfield Hills…It should not be for housing, whatsoever.” Housing at Fairfield Hills would cause problems for the town, he stressed.

Robert Krosky of 34 Mile Hill Road South suggested that Fairfield Hills be used as a housing site for town residents who are elderly, rather than as a housing site for people and children from elsewhere. “Help the people in the town,” he said.

John Boccuzzi of 18 Hundred Acres Road urged that Fairfield Hills become the site for land uses which would aid the local property tax base, adding that there already is sufficient local housing.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said the P&Z would hold postpone action on the proposed zoning rule changes.

The P&Z is waiting the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee’s report on possible changes to the master plan, Ms Dean said. That report would incorporate the results of a public opinion survey being conducted by the committee on future possible land uses at Fairfield Hills.

Ms Dean said the committee expects to submit its report by July.

The chairman said that the only additional information that would be added to the record of the P&Z’s public hearing would be the contents of that committee’s report.

Ms Dean told residents that the many land uses that the P&Z currently allows at Fairfield Hills would generate more traffic.

Allowing a diversity of housing types provides people who are beginning their careers with places to live, she said.

“It is not subsidized or low-income housing,” Ms Dean said, adding that the proposed zoning rules would require that the developer of a Cochran House apartment complex provide ten percent of those apartments as “affordable housing.”

Concerns about traffic and parking stemming from a Cochran House apartment complex would be addressed by the P&Z during its review of a site plan for such a project, she said. Having 160 apartments at Cochran House would benefit local businesses, as well as stimulate the provision of bus transportation in Newtown, she said.

P&Z Members’ Views

Following the public hearing, P&Z members discussed their views on the Fairfield Hills housing issue.

Daniel Cruson said he would favor allowing some housing at Fairfield Hills to meet the town’s obligation to provide a place for younger couples to live.

Rudolph Pozek said he never favored the town buying Fairfield Hills from the state. Existing buildings there could be put to various new uses, he said, adding that he does not favor demolishing the buildings.

Dennis Bloom said he would like to have a mixture of residential and commercial uses at Fairfield Hills, adding that he does not favor a project as large as the 160-unit complex proposed by the developer.

“I don’t think Newtown is a town for apartment houses,” said Robert Mulholland. When the economy eventually improves, there would be some good uses to which the existing buildings there could be put, he said.

Mr Mulholland suggested that a section of Fairfield Hills lying near the intersection of Mile Hill Road South and Keating Farms Avenue be sold off by the town so that it be could be used for housing.

Ms Dean said that the town’s selling off a section of Fairfield Hills is not a good idea because it could lead to the town selling off additional sections of Fairfield Hills.

Michael Porco, Sr, said he considers allowing housing at Fairfield Hills to be a “bad idea.”

The proposed FHAR zoning rule changes would allow multiple-family dwellings at Cochran House, provided that at least ten percent of such dwellings are designated as “affordable housing,” and that the multiple-family dwellings have public sanitary sewer service and public water service. Also, the proposed FHAR rule changes also would allow the reuse of eight existing single-family houses at Fairfield Hills as affordable housing.