Date: Fri 01-Oct-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-advisory

Full Text:

Advisory Panel Not Impressed By Fairfield Hills Development Plans

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee does not seem very impressed with what

three private developers have in store for the re-use of the former state

mental health hospital.

The group responded to last week's re-development forum by saying that none of

the developers have proposed anything of much merit to the town of Newtown.

"While each of the proposals has some positive aspects, none are what the town

needs. We feel there needs to be more commercial uses of this property," noted

Michael Floros, advisory committee chairman, in a September 24 letter to First

Selectman Herb Rosenthal.

Mr Floros' committee, which is charged with advising the four Newtown members

of the Selection Committee in Hartford, believes there needs to be more

commercial use of the Fairfield Hills property. In short, the advisory

committee said the developers missed the point: Newtown wants to expand the

tax base, but not with more housing.

"The utility infrastructure, proximity to Interstate 84 and relative isolation

from established neighborhoods, make this one of the few locations in Newtown

that can support the commercial development Newtown needs to diversify our tax

base," the letter stated.

The advisory committee chairman said the former state mental health hospital

in Norwich, CT, which is also for sale, has a more diversified selection of

developers.

"Of the four they got, one was the Mohegan Sun (Casino), two were commercial

developers and one was mixed use," Mr Floros said. "Our three developers'

strength is all residential."

The 400-acre Norwich proposal is twice the size of the land for sale at

Fairfield Hills.

Each of the three private developers is still expected to meet with the

Selection Committee in Hartford. There will be ample opportunity for each to

adjust its plans. All three say they are willing to make adjustments, a point

that surprised First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, particularly since the

developers have already spent so much money on their proposals.

"How much are they willing to move? That's the key," noted State Rep Julia

Wasserman.

All About Money

State officials, as representatives of all the people of the state, have an

incentive to get the most money for and best use of the Fairfield Hills

property. Mrs Wasserman points out that that land is owned by all Connecticut

taxpayers. State officials have made some concessions to Newtown in recent

years, she said, adding that they may be on the verge of saying "no more Mr

Nice Guy."

"The state took a big loss on the land. There are over 300 acres of land that

were, until two years ago, zoned as one acre parcels which the state could

have developed and made big bucks on," she said. "They chose not to and the

land was given to the state's Agricultural Department. People in Hartford are

saying, `Hey, what are we doing down there that we're not doing for the rest

of the state?'"

If it comes down to money, the state will likely go with developer Spectrum

Skanska, which has offered to pay the state the most money -- about $20

million. But is it the best plan for Newtown?

"I don't believe it is," Mr Floros said.

Newtown will have a say in which developer is chosen. Four of the eight

members of the Selection Committee are representatives of Newtown: Mr

Rosenthal, Mrs Wasserman, Michael Osborne and Charles Wrenn.

The advisory committee next meets October 21. At the meeting, the Board of

Education will be present to discuss it views on Cochran House (at Fairfield

Hills) and the possibility of its use as a school.

Ideal Scenario

Mr Rosenthal said he still has some questions about the financing of some of

the proposals. "I certainly don't have enough information to make a decision

on one of the three developers," he said. "And the town purchase is still

alive and well."

But Mr Rosenthal continues to wonder how the town could ever manage such a

grand scheme. And, he said, there is currently no consensus on what the town

would do with the land once it owned it.

Mrs Wasserman tends to agree, pointing out that Newtown, if it purchases the

land, will have put itself in a very difficult situation.

"I'm not saying the town should not buy it. But if the town is going to

purchase Fairfield Hills, it had better be prepared for a huge issue," she

said.

In the first selectman's mind, the most ideal scenario would be if a developer

offered to purchase the property, give the town overall control, then make

sure Newtown gets ball fields, land for schools, municipal buildings, and

added controls to ensure the developer delivered on all promises.

"That would be ideal and a proposal that would provide positive economic

development," he said. "I don't think any of these do that, though."

That scenario may be a pipe dream, but it may be the only way Newtown

residents will ever go along with someone other than the town purchasing the

property.