The Woodbury Hall Giveaway

To the Editor:

The Fairfield Hills Authority and the selectmen have leased Woodbury Hall to the Glen Mountain Holding Co. LLC. Records at the office of the Secretary of the State show that Glen Mountain is a new company consisting of one person, Scott Schifillite, 54 Vista Drive, Shelton, CT, 06484.

The lease requires Glen Mountain to make one up-front payment of $760,000 for a 30-year lease. The payment will be made to the Fairfield Hills Authority for “improvements on the Fairfield Hills campus,” and will not be available as income for the town. A lease attachments shows the clinic will use only half of the first floor. The remaining space can be subleased to other tenants.

In 2008 P&Z approved a veterinary hospital in Woodbury Hall if sewers were used. What are the conditions of the sewers? The town paid Stearns and Wheler $19,924.30 to inspect the sewer lines. The report concluded, “The sanitary sewer line around Bridgeport Hall and possibly throughout the campus, should not be used in its current condition.” (1/10/07). What plan does the town have to replace the ancient sewer lines? It has applied for a grant from the DEP for $2.1 million. Will that be enough?

The Fairfield Hills Authority agreed to pay for 105 parking spaces to serve Woodbury Hall. Before purchasing FFH, citizens were told that parking would be situated on the footprints of demolished buildings and lawns and trees would be preserved. How will the town pay for these spaces?

Similarly, the Fairfield Hills Authority agreed to provide parking for the Newtown Youth Academy (NYA). However, because the Fairfield Hills Authority chose an expensive renovation of Bridgeport Hall for a town hall (not approved by the voters), it has no bond money left to demolish Greenwich Hall and to construct NYA parking. The Board of Selectmen agreed to have the NYA borrow at least $3 million from Newtown Savings Bank at six percent to demolish Greenwich and construct parking. You and I are now paying the NYA $21,645 each month to cover the payments for this loan. Funds for these continuing payments show in the 2009-2010 budget (p 236).

Article 16 p 17 of the lease allows the town to take over the mortgage payments for Woodbury Hall should Glen Mountain be unable to repay its $5.5 million loan for renovating the buildings. Estimated tax revenue $620,052. Should the people of Newtown have paid $20 million for Fairfield Hills in order to subsidize businesses coming into town by providing the land and infrastructure? Did we subsidize the Caraluzzi’s Market by providing land and parking for them? This philosophical question remains unanswered. Let the voters decide!

In the near future, Newtown needs a larger police station, senior center, firehouse, and a dignified town hall. The recent Planimetric report and population study by H.C. Consultants in 2008 indicate we will soon need an additional elementary school and by 2030 a much larger high school. If not at Fairfield Hills, where?

Ruby Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                       January 28, 2009