The Future Of Fairfield Hills

To the Editor:

When trying to make any decision, it is important to understand the key outcomes or criteria that are meaningful to you. It saves time, keeps people focused, and allows businesses that are interested in FFH an outline to work from. This list should be short and clear.

When it comes to Fairfield Hills, I would outline those as follows:

Creates positive tax income for Newtown.

Builds business traffic for local restaurants and shops in Newtown

Creates local jobs.

Maximizes the use of the space and current services already on the property and in Newtown.

Any solution that is proposed should hit at least two or three of these criteria, four being a perfect match.

Keeping this criteria in mind I would like to start a list of uses for FFH. My hope is this list will inspire others in Newtown to not criticize these ideas, but come up with suggestions of their own. Any suggestions should stick with the outcomes/criteria listed above which are also open for suggestions. In order of preference:

CIA (Culinary Institute of America) or another well-known culinary school to open a branch. (The next Bobby Flay, Giada of Barefoot Contessa)

Start-up incubator building (The next Google, Yahoo, Bear Naked Granola)

Corporation (branch of IBM, GE, etc)

Nursing, physical therapy. or other health care-related school

Alternative energy think tank (the next energy solution is designed in Newtown)

UConn or other university branch

Medical research park

55 and older housing.

Because of the size of FFH, several of these ideas could utilize the space together. All of these suggestions meet the criteria above. For example, 55 and older housing raises tax income for Newtown since there are no educational costs associated with those units. It would also provide much needed business traffic to local stores and restaurants and it would create some new jobs and increase the utilization of current facilities including the Newtown Youth Academy and fitness center.

Once we have created a short and clear criteria/outcome, we can begin marketing the space and opportunity to groups that would be interested. The process of making a decision on proposed ideas would be much faster and our selection of possibilities would be much larger since outsiders would know what we are looking for.

I am an eternal optimist and believe in discussing what “can be” rather than what can’t. I look forward to others helping to define the criteria for FFH and sharing their creative ideas for utilizing this amazing asset we are so fortunate to have.

John Boccuzzi, Jr

18 Hundred Acres Road, Newtown                                  April 7, 2011