Council Chairman Says Queen Street Issue Will Stay On The Back Burner

By Steve Bigham

Last week, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal publicly chastised the Legislative Council for tabling the issue of the town-owned Queen Street houses and the proposed sale of one of them to Habitat for Humanity.

Mr Rosenthal made his remarks at the dedication ceremonies of a Housatonic Habitat for Humanity-constructed home on Philo Curtis Road. He spoke in favor of further Habitat for Humanity projects in town. “It provides housing diversity in the town,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of housing diversity opportunities.”

The Board of Selectmen voted in November to sell the homes and agreed to sell the home at 33 Queen Street to Habitat for Humanity “as is” for $20,000.

“I just think we shouldn’t be hanging onto those homes,” Mr Rosenthal said.

This week, Legislative Council Chairman Pierre Rochman responded, saying his board would likely have to table most related issues until Fairfield Hills is resolved. He called Mr Rosenthal’s remarks “unfair.”

“The council tabled it some time back until Fairfield Hills is resolved and that’s where the council stands on it. It’s just that simple,” Mr Rochman said. “If anyone thinks we bought this with some other intention, then they are mistaken. All along, our intention was ‘let’s buy it and let’s see what happens at Fairfield Hills before we do anything.’ This is not a Habitat for Humanity issue right now.”

But it may eventually become a Habitat for Humanity issue because there are some who question whether or not the town should “give” the home to Habitat for Humanity. Mr Rochman is among them.

“We are not in the business of giving donations, especially to that degree,” he said this week.

Last winter, after the selectmen had recommended selling the homes, the council expressed second thoughts. At its February 2 meeting, Council member Donald Studley, an accountant, suggested that the town demolish the houses and keep the land for town use either as open space or for future municipal space needs. He presented figures that indicated that selling the homes to families with school-age children would be costlier over time than simply tearing the houses down. Under one Studley scenario, which made several assumptions, selling the homes would end up costing the town about $4 million over the next 25 years. Mr Studley figured in the cost to educate children over several years compared to the relatively small return in taxes. These are not $750,000 homes, council member John Kortze said.

Demolishing the buildings would save the town $809,000 over time, Mr Studley said.

Several other members of the council agreed with Mr Studley, who two years earlier had questioned the town’s interest in purchasing the homes and property from the state. The town eventually purchased the sale items for $1.2 million.

Council member Doug Brennan questioned Mr Studley’s figures, saying he may have left some key “assumptions” out. For one, he said, the figures do not include all tax revenue the town stands to receive from these homes. He also guessed that the town would sell the homes for a higher price than Mr Studley had figured in.

Mr Rosenthal agreed, adding that Newtown residents were told at a town meeting last year that the town’s intention was to eventually sell the homes with deed restrictions.

“I do think people voted for purchasing the Queen Street [houses] with the thought in mind that the town would sell the houses,” he said. “Of course, the Legislative Council may think differently.”

At the February 2 meeting, resident Richard Sturdevant suggested that all the houses be torn down. He also questioned the Board of Selectmen’s recommendation to sell the sixth house to Habitat for Humanity. He considered it an unfair distribution of tax dollars to the one family that will benefit.

“It is certainly a noble gesture, but it is not good as a matter of public policy. Only one family will benefit,” he said.

The town purchased each home at a cost that ranged from $76,500 to $140,000.

The homes were once a part of the Fairfield Hills campus and were inhabited by staff members.