The town concluded its talks with the state this week over the terms of the proposed state sale of Fairfield Hills to Newtown. In announcing those terms on Monday, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal asserted that Newtown may now secure a lasting legacy of open space and potential for the growth of municipal facilities at the heart of the town. As part of the deal, the state backed off its initial asking price of $5.5 million to $3.9 million, and offered some additional land and facilities on Trades Lane. The agreement also outlined a strategy for the town to limit its liability for residual environmental problems at the 185-acre site. [See story.]

The negotiated conditions for the sale have finally enabled the first selectman to present to the town and to the Legislative Council a recommended course of action for purchasing the property and immediately addressing the town’s most pressing needs for additional office space and recreational playing fields. The recommendations include cost estimates totaling $21,723,600 and a proposed schedule for implementation. Key to the future of Fairfield Hills is the development of a master plan for the site, and key to the success of Mr Rosenthal’s recommendations is his decision to accommodate and encourage continued debate and discussion over the components of that master plan.

The plan is to be drawn up by consultants based on the work and conclusions of both the initial Fairfield Hills Taskforce, headed by State Rep Julia Wasserman and Richard Nuclo of the state’s Office of Policy and Management, and the subsequent Selectmen’s Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee. Mr Rosenthal’s recommendation properly calls for the master plan to “go through all appropriate approval processes, including approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Selectmen, Legislative Council and town meeting prior to implementation of the plan.” Whether or not the town charter supports such an approval process for a master plan was left unanswered this week. But the first selectman said he was committed to securing a town meeting approval for the plan unless specifically prohibited by the charter. Public opinion, he said, should help guide the development of the plan. For those worried about going ahead with the purchase of Fairfield Hills without knowing all the details of the development plans, this commitment by Mr Rosenthal should provide the extra measure of accountability needed to allay those fears.

The first selectman has negotiated a good price for Fairfield Hills and has set out a phased approach to apply the considerable resources available at Fairfield Hills first toward demonstrated and immediate needs. It also preserves for the future the flexibility to develop and implement, with full public participation, a plan that will anticipate and respect the prerogatives of townspeople and town leaders 20 or 30 years from now to enjoy the benefits and to realize the possibilities of Fairfield Hills.

Newtown’s failure to purchase Fairfield Hills at this time would most certainly result in either a quick sale of the property by the state to a commercial or real estate developer or a re-use of the facilities by a state legislature that has shown a recent renewed interest in reducing the state’s prison population with drug treatment centers and other alternatives to incarceration. Either way, the alternative to a town purchase of the property would not be good for Newtown.

Mr Rosenthal has delivered to the Legislative Council and to the town a negotiated deal and a schedule of costs and actions that is ready to go. The council has given its unanimous approval. We now urge the people of Newtown to get on board and ride this opportunity into the future.