Panel Starts New Phase Of Fairfield Hills Planning

By Steve Bigham

The Fairfield Hills Master Plan Advisory Committee officially kicked off what it calls “phase two” of its planning process Monday night. After more than three months of soliciting ideas from the public, the board is now set to move forward with its decision-making phase.

The Town of Newtown is preparing itself for purchase of the 189-acre campus and plans to have a final master plan in place by November. In the meantime, the advisory committee will spend the summer drawing up three alternative plans.

On Monday, the board met to discuss how best to go about this all-important second phase. Some members suggested breaking into groups to discuss the four major reuses for the property: municipal, open space, recreation, and economic development. Others, however, suggested that the group simply focus on what consultant Dick Harrall calls the “tough nuts,” those issues where there are clearly two trains of thought.

“There is a lot of commonality about what people want at Fairfield Hills. Most people want a mix of uses. It’s kind of like politics in Washington. Everyone wants to move toward the middle,” he said. “But there are three or four issues that we need more discussion on.”

The biggest is the long-standing economic development vs open space argument. According to Mr Harrall, the 27-acre site on the eastern side of the campus is most suitable for as much as 300,000 square feet of corporate development. He called it by far the most marketable piece of land, pointing out that the main campus area provides little opportunity for creativity.

On the other hand, the picturesque spot has remained open space and many in town want it to remain undisturbed.

“The townspeople have to decide what they want to do there,” Mr Harrall said this week.

Development of this site would likely take place toward the top of the hill (near the water towers). The lower pasture, visible from Wasserman Way, would be left alone, he said.

Board member Marianne Currier questioned why the area around Litchfield, Bridgewater and Fairfield houses was not being considered for corporate use. Many in town believed that if any corporate development took place it would be at the campus.

“There’s not enough space there,” Mr Harrall explained.

Board member Jan Roman admitted she did not know enough about traffic and water issues and the limitations they place on building space there. “We don’t know enough about those parameters to make decisions,” she said.

Mr Harrall assured her this week that there are “not a lot of limitations as far as utilities go.”

Resident Ruby Johnson said Mr Harrall’s reports often talk about using Fairfield Hills to bring in one mill of revenue annually. “Release him from the responsibility of raising one mill. I don’t know if we can make this campus self-supporting,” she said.

Mr Harrall said the one mill figure was an arbitrary number and not one he was asked to try and achieve.

Board member Kevin Cragin voiced his concern that the committee was getting too stuck on detail. He favors sticking to the issues of municipal uses, open space, recreation, and economic development.

“At this pace, we’re not going to finish by November,” he said.

Mrs Roman dissented, pointing out that this week’s meeting was the first time she heard anyone say there were no infrastructure problems.

The board meets next July 18 when it will take up the issue of municipal needs. Also, the consulting team headed by Harrall-Michalowski Associates will hold an all-day workshop July 18-19.

Three alternative master plans will be presented to the public September 9-10 with a tour of the campus to take place September 14. Further meetings/workshops will take place after that with a final town meeting slated for later in the fall.