Help Preserve Fairfield Hills’ Architecture

To the Editor:

Are you in favor of the preservation of the majestic architectural style and layout of all the buildings on the Fairfield Hills campus? Do you think that the existing structures could be rehabilitated for use for enhanced community life?

If the entire building complex is listed on the National Historic Register, any lessee of a building, could reap substantial tax benefits if the lessee helps to organize the rehabilitation at the lessee’s cost, of the building or part thereof.

Please donate some funds now for the hiring of a qualified historian to prepare a nomination document to be submitted to the State of Connecticut Historic Commission before the imminent planned demolition starts. If even one building at Fairfield Hills is demolished, the designation could not be awarded!

Please vote against the current master plan for Fairfield Hills. The plan entails demolishing 17 sturdily, expensively constructed, attractive buildings in the complex. Please vote against any demolition and vote against any sale of buildings and/or land. Remediation and rehabilitation is still cheaper than new construction.

The plan details the removal of a major access/egress road that could result in a traffic nightmare if all traffic must enter and exit Fairfield Hills at one traffic light where all traffic at the 5/6 School also enters and exits. Fine, useful existing roads should not be removed. The road to the water tower should remain. Ruby Johnson of the Friends of Fairfield Hills pointed out in their presentation, the road is a necessary road used by security personnel to access the water tower.

Fairfield Hills Master Plan consultants indicated that now “only 13” gorgeous trees would have to be sawn down to make room for a brand new Town Hall to be constructed on top of the removed access road.

There is no Historic Commission to protect trees. It took many years to grow the 13 that the master planners want to remove. The plan now shows roundabouts as recreational traffic fun rides. The consulting firm seemed to indicated that roundabout circle plantings might act as missing tree monuments.

We have Shelton Hall to use for a town hall. The structure is good. The inside is spacious and generously designed. I see no reason to demolish any ends or wings of any buildings. The ends are the good parts. New materials could be used inside for luxurious town offices. Heating and cooling systems can be made efficient in larger areas now. Consultants saw no real need for basements and noted there would not be any. Basements are cooler in summer and warmer in winter and can aid in heating and cooling. There is no need to downsize as consultants recommended. There will be a need for all of the space at Fairfield Hills. Fairfield Hills is a good location to rent out space to a small commuter college. The new federal income tax break enables individuals to take deductions for the cost of higher, accredited college education directly off gross income, so the demand for classes will increase dramatically. Short-term rentals to various entities could be negotiated by the many real estate professionals in Newtown who work on a commission basis. Rental agreements could be engineered by the town to serve the Town of Newtown residents’ best interests as determined by the townspeople.

Last night the Fairfield Hills Planning Commission volunteers were relieved of their stewardship. At this time there are no residents to help shape the remainder of the development. Please volunteer your time and/or funds to prevent demolition and disposal of a national treasure.

The architecture of Fairfield Hills has contributed to the entire character and aspect of the Town of Newtown. Drive along Queen Street and look out over the blue green hills. Architecture all around Newtown has borrowed from its lines, arched windows, conservatory porches, cupolas, brick, antique copper gutters, white trim, and green promenades. Its pine trees and buildings mark it as Newtown’s headliner. Please contact me and people and organizations that you think might be able to work with the good future of Newtown residents in mind, with any comments, questions and to let them know where you stand on this issue. Contact those who you think might be sympathetic and nonself-aggrandizing, to urge that they support the hiring of a historian to do a National Historic Register nomination. There is no one else to accomplish this but you!

Susan Washburn

4 Sky Top Drive, Sandy Hook                                       March 5, 2003