Date: Fri 16-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Amaral-property-Cascella

Full Text:

Amaral Property Purchase Still Up In The Air

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Should the town buy the $400,000 Amaral property off Elm Drive for

recreational use, using Iroquois pipeline funds to pay for the land, or should

it use that money to purchase passive open space?

While there has been little public discussion to date, there are two differing

views on the issue among town officials. Next week, the Amaral property will

be up for debate at both the meetings of the Board of Selectmen and

Legislative Council. Residents will have an opportunity speak on the offer.

First Selectman Bob Cascella has been the town's biggest advocate toward

buying the 13-acre parcel adjacent to Dickinson Town Park ever since brothers

Daniel and Marcus Amaral gave the town right-of-first-refusal when they put

the land on the market back in March.

Along with Larry Haskel of the Recreation Commission, Mr Cascella believes the

property would be a perfect extension of the town park, giving the town space

to build much-needed ball fields. The first selectman, who is still in

negotiations with the Amarals, has received approval from Gary Davis of the

Iroquois Gas Transmission Company to use some of the funds it promised to give

the town as part of an agreement with the town when the company ran a gas

pipeline through town.

Selectman Gary Fetzer is in favor of the town buying the Amaral property, but

he's opposed to using Iroquois funds to cover the cost. Mr Fetzer is the

chairman of the town's Greenways Committee, which has been counting on the

Iroquois funds to help jump start the town's plan to someday establish a

continuous trail system in town, connecting all of the town's major open

spaces. As Mr Fetzer points out, the funding from Iroquois was originally

earmarked for the purchase of passive open space, not recreation.

"Acquisition of the Amaral property should be looked at, but I think that it's

a piece of property that if the town feels it wants, should be paid for

through the budget or special appropriation," Mr Fetzer said.

Mr Fetzer called this a critical juncture for the Greenways plans.

"We are in a race against time. We're competing against the development that's

going on. I think it would be very unfortunate if we used that money for the

Amaral property. I remember when Greenways first formed. The selectman said

the Iroquois money would be used for Greenways," he said.

Rift Between Selectmen

Mr Cascella and Mr Fetzer have not seen eye-to-eye on Greenways since the

committee was created more than a year ago. The first selectman believes the

Greenways plan can be an important "piece of the puzzle" in the town's effort

to maintain the quality of life in Newtown. Mr Fetzer says the Greenways was

established as a trail system for recreational purposes and has nothing to do

with controlling over-development, though it may do so in the process.

The recent Amaral property issue has widened their differences.

In a recent letter to Mr Davis of Iroquois, Mr Fetzer reiterated the Greenways

Commission's interest in using the Iroquois funding to purchase open space for

the trail system. Last Monday, Mr Fetzer appeared to submit a copy of the

letter for the record during a Board of Selectmen meeting. However, Mr

Cascella said the letter was never included as part of the minutes.

"That letter was totally unauthorized," the first selectman said earlier this

week. "He had no authority to send that letter out. That's what happens when

you don't understand the system."

Mr Fetzer countered, pulling out a letter he received from Mr Cascella in

March, specifically requesting that he write to Mr Davis in response to

questions the Iroquois official had regarding the Greenway Commission's

proposal for funds.

Meanwhile, Danny Amaral is awaiting a final decision from the town. He has

given the town until June to decide. He's had other offers from developers and

realizes there are two dissenting views on the issue.

"I'm concerned this will turn into a political football game," he said.

The Amaral property up for sale extends in a triangular shape in a northerly

direction from the town park to the point where Elm Drive and Deep Brook Road

intersect at the Village Cemetery. The lot, once used for farming, lies just

north of the park's tennis courts.