Date: Fri 24-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-reaction

Full Text:

The Recurring Local Theme: What's In It For Newtown?

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Hundreds of Newtown residents showed up at Newtown High School Tuesday night

in the hopes of learning more about three private developers and what, if

chosen, they would do with the 186-acre core campus of Fairfield Hills.

The re-development of Fairfield Hills has become an emotional issue with

Newtown residents (some of whom tuned in to watch the program on TV -- Channel

17). In recent years, Newtown has undergone major changes due to growth. But

those changes have been spread throughout town and have unfolded over a long

period of time. The changes wrought at Fairfield Hills could be intense and

quick, depending on which plan is selected by the town and state.

The state wants to sell the property and is looking for the right buyer. But

Newtown has secured for itself representation on the selection panel, and

residents wanted to be heard.

On Tuesday, they made it clear that they are most interested in what the

prospective developers are going to do for existing townspeople. After they

digested more than three hours' worth of information, the one question on the

minds of many was: What's in it for Newtown?

Some wanted to know about schools, others were concerned about the aquifer.

There were those who questioned open space plans and many wanted to know about

ball fields. Of course, taxes and whether or not they were going to go up was

also emphasized.

"Everyone has their own little niche," observed one resident.

In the end, many in attendance said their opinions hadn't changed much from

when they first arrived. For those like Ruby Johnson and Al Cramer, Tuesday's

forum only solidified their belief that Newtown needs to control the

development of Fairfield Hills. Newtown will ultimately have the opportunity

to say whether or not it wants to buy the land, and there are many proponents

of a town purchase. Others disagree, saying the town is in no position to be

taking on a project of this magnitude. Politics will only mess it, they say.

The Courtship Of A Town

There is much public interest in the plan proposed by Becker and Becker of New

Canaan, the firm that has proposed a partnership with Newtown, as well as

other organizations such as the YMCA, Newtown Savings Bank, O&G Industries and

others. The smallest of the three firms, it hopes to pool the resources of

others with its own in order to make its plan work.

Becker and Becker's pitch for local support has been the most obvious. The

Becker and Becker plan calls for less housing than its competitors, a new

school (which the town would pay for), ball fields, office space, business

space, a YMCA, museums and gardens. It is also the only firm not planning to

knock down the majority of Fairfield Hills' historic buildings.

As resident Pat Barczak noted, the Becker and Becker plan offers many of the

things that Newtown needs. This is a strength of the proposal.

But as one resident pointed out in the question and answer period Tuesday

night, under the Becker and Becker plan, Newtown would be a minority partner

in a project on which it is spending more money on than the developer.

Nevertheless, Becker and Becker was greeted with polite questions and

expressions of approval from the crowd.

For Wilder & Balter and Spectrum Skanska, however, it was another story. They

were not made to feel as welcome and some of the questions and comments were

antagonistic. Too much housing, not enough ball fields or open space, no

school proposals, residents commented.

"You've missed the mark. To me, it's the worst case scenario," one resident

said, remarking on Wilder Balter's proposal to build 550 housing units and a

new golf course, but failure to include adequate open space. Wilder Balter

acknowledged its proposal was not an ideal development due to local land use

regulations and other restrictions.

"You have told us that this is not the development you prefer and you have

made that readily apparent," the resident said.

Another resident criticized Spectrum Skanska for its massive housing

development plans, which, by his calculations, would drive up the need for

town services.

"I guess our taxes are going up," he said.

One woman commended Wilder Balter for its efforts, but noted that her son

likes sports, not just golf (a golf course is the centerpiece of the Wilder

Balter plan). Her comments sparked applause from the audience.

Another woman questioned why Spectrum Skanska would propose a library on its

new site when the town just completed a $4 million renovation to the Cyrenius

H. Booth Library.

While Spectrum Skanska and Wilder Balter may not have been scoring points with

Newtown's townspeople, their development track record and capital strength

earned them a place in the top tier of finalists with state officials. They

have offered the state the most money for the project and both have promised

to adjust their plans to better suit the needs of the community.

A final decision by the joint town-state Fairfield Hills Selection Committee

on the top development proposal is not expected until some time this winter.

The state has been slow in completing an environmental study of contamination

problems on the site, which has resulted in the delay.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal commended Newtown High School, its staff and

students for televising Tuesday's event. Mr Rosenthal was at the event, but

was later told that the telecast was very well done. Others marveled at the

fact that they were able to watch a live television program about Newtown.