Edmond Town Hall’s Future Hangs In The Balance Of The Fairfield Hills Deal

By Steve Bigham

As the town contemplates the purchase of Fairfield Hills, some Newtown residents are still asking the question: what will ever become of the aging Edmond Town Hall?

At one time, town officials had suggested a 23,000-square-foot addition to the building be constructed to accommodate town offices, which are currently scattered about town. However, that plan remains on hold as town ownership of Fairfield Hills becomes a more viable option.

“I’d say it’s on the back burner. That clearly is contingent on Fairfield Hills,” First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said of the town hall addition plan. “What shouldn’t be on the back burner is that there does need to be some expenditure of funds to assist the Board of Managers to try and maintain the building and improve its function.”

Those improvements, which could reach more than $3 million, will be made regardless of whether or not town offices stay there. But no major decisions will be made until after the town makes a decision on Fairfield Hills. Meanwhile, the building’s maintenance man, Clark Kathan, will try his best to get town hall’s antiquated boiler through yet another winter.

“It’s a waiting game. We keep plodding along,” noted Marie Sturdevant of the Town Hall Board of Managers. “Hopefully our board will be a part of the decision. We want representatives to be a part of that. In the past, we were not a part of it.”

These days there is sentiment by many to move the town’s seat of government to Fairfield Hills. They see the large campus making a great home for town offices, particularly in Woodbury and Newtown halls near the entry plaza. But there are others, like local attorney and former member of the town’s municipal space needs committee Bob Hall and Marie Sturdevant, who feel that Edmond Town Hall must continue to serve as home to the first selectman, town clerk, and others.

“I don’t want to see Edmond Town Hall be turned into an entertainment center,” Mrs Sturdevant said.

Two years ago, the municipal space needs committee recommended a large addition to the town hall. In contrast, the Fairfield Hills advisory committee last year recommended that the town use Stamford Hall on the former state mental health hospital for municipal office space. The building, located on Washington Square, has 58,000 square feet of space – more than enough to satisfy the town’s longstanding need for more office space. This plan eliminates the need for the $11.2 million addition at Edmond Town Hall.

Which option is best for the town?

“We would have to weigh the costs and benefits to making improvements at Fairfield Hills as opposed to Edmond Town Hall,” Mr Rosenthal said. “On the surface, it looks less expensive to do work at Fairfield Hill than to add on to this building.”

The first selectman acknowledged that there are people who feel strongly about staying on Main Street. Edmond Town Hall has been in use since 1930 and was a gift to Newtown from the town’s benefactress, Mary Hawley. The terms of the gift stipulated, however, that certain offices, including the selectman’s office and the judge of probate, always remain in the building. The first selectman noted, however, that the penalty for violating these terms is losing the interest on Hawley trust funds for the building, which amount to about $50,000 annually. Mr Rosenthal has stated that the loss of those funds should not be a determining factor in deciding whether or not all town offices should move from Main Street.

  “If all things were equal I would rather see government at town hall, but you have to look at cost and traffic considerations,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The issue of practicality must also be considered. An addition to Edmond Town Hall might alleviate immediate pressure, some say. However, it would not accommodate future growth.

Mr Rosenthal believes most of these “tough decisions” will be made within the next year.

Town Clerk Cindy Simon has said she prefers to see offices remain on Main Street, but would be open to any plan that consolidates town offices.

“I feel it’s a priority that all town offices be in the same location. Obviously, my first choice would have us stay where we are. But if that’s impossible – if it means moving to Fairfield Hills – to have us all together, then that’s what we’ll have to do. My first choice is to stay on Main Street, though,” she said.