Following discussion at a July 20 Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing, P&Z members unanimously approved construction of a building that will hold a community center and senior center at 8 Simpson Street at Fairfield Hills.

The P&Z's site development plan approval follows several years of local planning on the project, which is intended to create a flexible-use municipal building for recreation and socialization by people of all ages. Although it will be a single structure, the building will have two distinct functions.

The overall construction cost of the planned dual-purpose building is approximately $18 million. The community center component stems from a grant from General Electric, which is making a donation to the town in the memory of the 26 people who were killed on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook School. Of the community center component's $15 million cost, $10 million is being covered by GE, with the other $5 million being covered through town bonding.

The entire $3 million cost of the senior center component is being covered through town bonding.

An additional $5 million in funding from GE will cover the operational costs of the community center component during its initial years.

At the July 20 hearing, architect Rusty Malik of Quisenberry Arcari Architects, LLC, of Farmington described in detail the floor plans of the structure. The plans depict "a variety of different spaces and uses," he said. "The goal always has been flexibility," Mr Malik explained.

After discussion about the various storage areas planned for the building, Mr Malik observed, "The reality is, you can never provide enough storage."

Mr Malik told P&Z members that the Fairfield Hills Authority (FHA) on July 12 endorsed the planned exterior appearance of the building. The structure's design incorporates architectural elements that are present at Fairfield Hills, a former state psychiatric hospital that was largely constructed in the 1930s in a neoclassical style.

George Benson, town planning director, told P&Z members that the community center and senior center plans presented to the P&Z comply with applicable land use regulations.

In their motion to approve the project, P&Z members found that the project is consistent with the 2014 Town Plan of Conservation and Development and with the Comprehensive Plan.

As a condition of approval, the P&Z is requiring that the applicant, which is the town, comply with the various requested technical information being sought by the town engineer, as stated in a July 14 document.

Also, P&Z members are requiring that certain nighttime lighting equipment be added to the senior center's patio and to the building's entrances and exits.

Additionally, P&Z members agreed to modify the Fairfield Hills Master Plan to incorporate the planned community center and senior center at the site of the former Canaan House, which has been demolished.

The project has received a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the town Land Use Agency.

Public Comment

During the public comment section of the P&Z meeting, Kinga Walsh, a member of a town advisory committee on the project, thanked P&Z members for their review of the project, adding that she believes the structure's design will fit in at the Fairfield Hills campus.

LeReine Frampton, a Commission on Aging member, explained the need for two art rooms at the planned senior center. A "wet" art room would be used for activities such as painting and pottery, while a "dry" art room would be used for knitting and various crafts.

"This is about bringing the community together," said Carla Kron, an advisory committee member, of the planned building. The use of such a building will help people "heal" from the Sandy Hook School incident, she said.

Amy Mangold, town director of Parks and Recreation, thanked the people who spent time and expended energy on planning for the new building.

"We're building a 'hub' of the community... We're building a community center for the community to come together," she said.

Another advisory committee member, Andrew Clure, said much teamwork has been involved in planning for the new building. Mr Clure thanked all those involved in the project.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland said the P&Z's approval will allow the long-planned structure to be built.

"This has been an effort by the whole town," he added.

The main entrance to the community center and senior center will be located directly across Simpson Street from the southern entrance to Newtown Municipal Center. The primary entrance for the senior center would be on the west side of the new building.

Open land lying east of the new building would function as a "green," and serve as a site for outdoor events. A bandshell, amphitheater, and water feature would be located near the structure in the future. If the building were to be expanded in the future, there would be space available on its west side.

Within the new building's more than 45,000 square feet of enclosed space there would be the community center, the senior center, two swimming pools and related facilities, plus shared space for mechanical equipment.

 NOTE: This post offers expanded coverage of the July 20, 2017 Planning & Zoning Commission than what was previous offered on Friday, July 21, 2017. This version includes public comment and additional details from the meeting.