Like It Or Not, Rosenthal’s Legacy Is Tied To Fairfield Hills

By Steve Bigham

It seems like everyone wants to hear from Herb Rosenthal about the latest news regarding Fairfield Hills. He was slated to speak to the Newtown Board of Realtors late this week and heads to Newtown High School next week for a talk on what some have called the biggest issue to hit this town in the last 100 years.

The first selectman has spoken to the Lions Club, the Men’s Literary Club of Newtown, and countless individuals who often stop him on the street to get the latest news or to give their “two cents worth” of advice.

Then there are the multitude of high school and college students who have taken on Fairfield Hills as a class project. All of them eventually contact Mr Rosenthal.

“That’s why when I read in the paper that I’m not sharing information with the public, I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Mr Rosenthal said this week. “I’m very pleased that people have taken an interest and make their comments known to me.”

But, as the first selectman is quick to point out, there is not a lot of news to report. Yes, the state is hoping to sell the 185-acre campus, and yes, it has made an offer to sell the property to Newtown “as is” for $5.5 million. However, that’s where the talking stops. All other discussion is reserved for the negotiating table where Mr Rosenthal and his environmental and legal experts are meeting with state officials to resolve the issue. The bulk of the talks have to do with the extent of the environmental contamination on the site and the total liability that the town would be inheriting.

In recent months, taxpayers’ concerns have heightened over how much Fairfield Hills ownership is going to cost them. Much of that concern is the result of recent allegations made by a group of residents who say both the town and state are relying on an “incomplete” environmental study. That group – headed by resident Barry Piesner – claims the town may be on the verge of purchasing a “bottomless pit” of environmental liabilities. The extent of the environmental cleanup costs may be beyond our wildest dreams (or nightmares), they say.

But Mr Rosenthal says Mr Piesner’s comments have not changed the negotiations. Certainly, the environmental issue has been a concern all along, he said.

“There is more concern in the public now. I’m not sure if that has changed people’s feelings. People have expressed concern over what the ultimate cost will be all along,” Mr Rosenthal said. “I certainly haven’t heard differently from groups like ‘Save Fairfield Hills for Newtown,’ who have wanted to buy Fairfield Hills at any cost.”

“We didn’t say at any cost,” responded Ruby Johnson of Save Fairfield Hills for Newtown this week. “Everybody is concerned about cost. A better statement from Save Fairfield Hills is that the town never really sat down to see if it could handle this project without a developer.”

Mrs Johnson has become disgruntled with the town’s direction on Fairfield Hills. She contends that Mr Rosenthal is operating under the old form of government where the people who are elected to government make all the decisions. She believes Mr Rosenthal has not done a good job of communicating with the public.

“He has kept too much to himself. He has not presented a vision for Fairfield Hills,” she said. “That’s old. We have a very highly educated group of people in Newtown. They don’t like being told what to do. The leader of today has to be a facilitator. He brings people together,” Mrs Johnson said. “The main thing is people have not been involved from the beginning.”

Mr Rosenthal and Mrs Johnson have disagreed on the issue of Fairfield Hills from the start. Both have different philosophies about government.

“I think people elect members of the Legislative Council and Board of Selectmen for their ability to lead, while still being open to public input,” Mr Rosenthal said. “Some have suggested that we should make decisions based solely on public opinion. I don’t think that’s why we’re elected.”

In his effort to promote openness in government, Mr Rosenthal will hold an office hour each Saturday morning from 9 to 10 am where people can come in and ask questions on Fairfield Hills.

 

The Rosenthal Legacy?

Like it or not, Mr Rosenthal has come to realize that his name will forever be synonymous with the disposition of Fairfield Hills. The future use of this prime piece of real estate in the heart of the town has been at the top of his agenda since he was first elected.

“For better or worse, I am resigned to the fact that half the people will think I made the right move when it’s all said and done,” he said this week. “I’m just trying to make the best decision I can. People have varying viewpoints. I’ll make the best recommendation I can.”

Of course, any recommendation from the first selectman will still be subject to a formal public vote at a town meeting…. and, if petitioned, at a machine-vote referendum.

Mr Rosenthal is expected to seek a third term in the first selectman’s office next November. By then, he hopes to have the Fairfield Hills phenomenon put to bed. However, if the issue remains unresolved, some say Fairfield Hills will become a major campaign issue. And, even if it is resolved, the first selectman’s opponents will surely find room to criticize. The first selectman says he is already resigned to that fact.

“The Republicans are like everybody else. Half of them will be happy and half of them won’t,” noted Republican Town Committee Chairperson Marie Sturdevant. “However, at this point, we as Republicans have not met and said Fairfield Hills will be an issue. We have a couple of other issues we plan to bring up. Fairfield Hills is not a major issue as of right now.”

Democratic Town Committee Chairman Earl J. Smith commended Mr Rosenthal for his prudent handling of the Fairfield Hills negotiations. He expects to see Mr Rosenthal in office for a long time to come.

“My personal feeling – and this is without indication from Herb – is that he and Joe [Bojnowski] will run for another term. I know our Democratic Town Committee is very pleased with him. We’ll just have to wait and see what Herb decides to do.”

Mr Smith predicts that the Fairfield Hills issue will be long resolved by the time the election rolls around.

“It’s such a big issue. It’s the biggest issue to come before this community in the last 100 years.”