The Selectmen Make It Clear: No Military At Fairfield Hills

By Kendra Bobowick

Is the answer yes, or no?

Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Public Affairs out of Louisville, Ky., Ron Elliott said Monday that his office needs a formal and definitive response from Newtown’s selectmen regarding a sale — or not — of 13 acres along the High Meadow in Fairfield Hills.

Monday night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting was precise. Selectman Herb Rosenthal was clear with his proposed motion insisting that the first selectman write a letter rejecting the military’s interest in the High Meadow. He suggested the board, “Strongly and categorically reject the army’s offer to purchase land at Fairfield Hills.” The proposal violates Planning and Zoning Commission regulations, for one.

At the time the town purchased the former state hospital campus, several points were made clear to taxpayers, according to Mr Rosenthal. Among those was the stipulation that the land would not be resold. Also, the land including the parcel on the High Meadow was designated for future public use for the town, he said.

After speaking with the military and with members of other towns with similar facilities, Mr Rosenthal noted, no one connected with the base eats here, no one shops here. “They come, they train, they go,” he said. Newtown will see only traffic.

His final point? A facility that would also include vehicle repair cannot be placed over an aquifer — that is a protected zone.

In a two-to-one vote seeing Selectman Paul Mangiafico second Mr Rosenthal, First Selectman Joe Borst insisted economically that “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” He said again Tuesday, “My concern is economic gain.”

Monday night Mr Mangiafico was firm: “We should be clear and unambiguous about rejecting their offer.” As Mr Rosenthal and Mr Mangiafico agreed that the town should notify the army as soon as possible, Mr Borst voted No. Outvoted however, he clarified his No vote Tuesday.

“My objection was not all people in the town voiced their opinions, the decision was made by two people,” he said, referring to his fellow selectmen. He will, however, write a “resounding, strong No response” on behalf of the board. Although he had voted against his fellow selectmen, he stressed again, “I had told [the military] it would be a hard sell, I wouldn’t give them that property.” He did think other scenarios could be considered. What about the technology park site, downhill from the horse guard on the right-hand side of Trades Lane? He also thought the military might entertain a lease for a building at Fairfield Hills.

Where It Started

A recent letter from District Commander Colonel Keith Landry with the Army had asked for a response “within the next 30 days” of his letter, received January 26, to “formally request purchase of 13 acres of town-owned land adjacent to the Army National Guard property in Newtown … the property noted on your Fairfield Hills Master Plan as the High Meadow and the east Meadow …”

Mr Elliott explained, “The purpose of the letter is to get an official yes or no.” So far the town had not provided a clear reply. First Selectman Joe Borst had sent correspondence on the town’s letterhead to prior Massachusetts contact Base Transition Coordinator Gary Puryear, indicating that the meadow acres “would be an extremely hard sell.”

That is not the answer that Army Corps of Engineer personnel in Kentucky wanted.

A “hard sell” is not clear enough for Mr Elliott or Project Manager Diane McCartin, who explained this week, “We need to close this loop; we need a final answer. Tell us yes or no.” She does acknowledge, however, the previous “informal” feedback, “but, we need an answer.” Mr Borst’s letter had also hinted at the technology park property, and in later conversations mentioned the empty Batchelder site across town off of Botsford Hill where the road passes beneath the railroad tracks.

Neither site is right for the military, Mr Elliott said. The technology park acres are not enough land for their needs, and Batchelder is not adjacent.

In turn, Mr Elliott and Ms McCartin will communicate with the US Department of Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC), which had specified the need to reconfigure its bases. “If this parcel is not for sale, [we] will go back to BRAC and say, ‘This is not going to happen,’” Mr Elliott said. “We can go to BRAC and say they won’t sell and look at other properties.”

Reluctant to comment about the military seizing the land through eminent domain, he did agree with First Selectman Borst’s interpretation of one remark in a recent letter from Mr Landry, which stated, “Your timely response will enable us to proceed with the project … or to cancel it and cancel related closures of other Army Reserve and National Guard facilities …” In recent days Mr Borst had understood the comment to mean: “So if we raise enough of an argument, they have said they don’t want to enter a town hostile to their intentions.” He had also said, “It’s not going to be on the High Meadow.”

Stressing the main point, Mr Elliott explained, “We want to do what is right for Newtown, Connecticut, and the soldiers.”