Editor's note: The following letter to the Board of Selectman was received by The Newtown Bee for publication. Ms Walsh served on theh Newtown Community Center Commission and on the Community Center Advisory Committee.

Dear Newtown Board of Selectmen,

Please accept the following as a reiteration of two of my public comment points made at Monday's [3/6/17] meeting. Given the sensitivity and importance of the center project, please respond with how you will address these concerns, what your next steps will be and the timetable.

Our community received a very generous gift because of a very horrible tragedy. Many have worked tirelessly over the past four years to try to do what is right for the community regarding the building of a community center. At the Monday, March 6th, Board of Selectmen's meeting, some community center schematic design options were presented and a general discussion ensued on the overall design with the objective of giving the architects the "green light" to continue forward. The architects are working to meet deadlines and incorporate needs/wants/desires communicated to them; however, a couple of concerns have arisen that are important for you, as our elected officials, to address:

* The spending and cost per square foot for the community center has increased $150/sf since December 2015. The initial estimates provided to the Commission by the town hired consultants were at $308/sf. The current estimate presented Monday, per the architects, stands at $459/sf. This discrepancy needs to be understood and rectified.

* There is apparent continued confusion on what is being planned for inclusion in the community center versus what was voted on and approved in April 2016. Despite repeated requests from multiple Advisory Committee members that the downsizing of the 50-meter aquatics component option (in the summer of 2016) be clarified to residents, no clear, concise information has been communicated yet. This confusion is further exacerbated with the discussion/ballot initiative to add a Senior Center component to the community center. Clear messaging to residents is needed to avoid further misconceptions.

The center planning and development needs to continue moving forward; it should be done in a transparent manner with actions that reflect respect for the residents and the community as a whole.

Appendix:

12/10/15 estimate: $308/sf

* Bottom line total = $14,982,545/48,500sf

*50-meter pool, separate zero entry pool and "dry" community space

*Pg 42 of Feb 2016 NCCC Final Report

1/22/16 estimate: $344/sf

*Bottom line total = $15,000,000/43,500sf

*See above

*Pg 36 of Feb 2016 NCCC Final Report

3/6/17 detail: $459/sf

*Bottom line total = $15,000,000/32,625sf

*4-6 lane 25-yard pool and separate zero-entry pool and "dry" community space

*3/6/17 Quisenberry Arcari Architects presentation to BOS

Looking forward to your response. Thank you for your time and all you do for the community.

Regards,

Kinga Walsh

21 Horseshoe Ridge Road, Sandy Hook         March 14, 2017

P.S.  Despite having prepared these discussion points in direct response to e-mail and verbal invites to Advisory Committee members to participate in Monday evening's discussion, an invite to talk never happened. The only communication option I had where I could publicly make my points, with the intent of transparency, was during the public comment section at the end of the evening.