Town Makes Do In Meeting Youth Academy Opening Deadline

By Kendra Bobowick

Poised to welcome the public to its courts, indoor track, and playing fields November 1, the Newtown Youth Academy will soon turn on its lights and boost the heat as the weather covers fading grass with a late October frost. The youth academy is among projects in progress at Fairfield Hills as private crews work to finish parking areas in front of the sports facility, and the town completes temporary measures to establish utility connections.

As rollerblades skid across streets once traveled by physicians or nurses and pet owners trot across fields, activity to revitalize the campus has occupied the landscape. Most recently, as the academy nears completion, the town works with the state to smooth the way for remediation, demolition, and remodeling of buildings, including Bridgeport Hall. Private contractors at work on the sports complex also are coordinating with the state’s health department to overcome delays in razing Greenwich House.

Utilities, gaslines, and demolition are among projects that have taken longer than architects or town officials anticipated. Additional asbestos testing rather than demolition is taking place at Greenwich House, while town crews have provided temporary measures to bring utility connections and heating fuel to the academy.

The town, as landlord, is contractually responsible for supplying the infrastructure. Architect Phil Clark with Claris Construction — the firm building the academy and waiting to take down Greenwich — is among those frustrated with hurdles the various projects have encountered.

With the grand opening less than ten days away, he said this week, “The fact is, the town had since last February to get us power and gas, and we built a building in that time.” With an eye toward propane tanks in lieu of the coming Yankee Gas lines, and the likelihood of a generator rather than direct CL&P power, he said, “It’s disappointing.”

His own work faces setbacks also. Greenwich House still awaits the results of additional testing, which grew out of past weeks’ inquiries from the state health department. Spokesperson William Gerrish said Wednesday that results are pending.

Recently, when state department representatives met with Highway Department Director Fred Hurley and others involved in Fairfield Hills projects, a flurry of paperwork to clarify testing, asbestos content, and proper remediation began to flow from the town to the state. Currently the state is at work to determine if work can proceed as planned at Greenwich.

Why? Mr Gerrish explained, “Apparently prior [asbestos] testing revealed conflicting results.” Needing to reconcile the information, his department conducted additional tests. He was unable to confirm a timeline for when the state would offer its conclusions.

On the town side, as some projects move ahead, such as establishing a trail system, other work has fallen behind the youth academy’s near-completion. Mr Hurley addressed both delays in establishing permanent electric and gasline hook ups saying, “It just takes time. It takes time.”

He said, “The town has provided electricity to the conduits that go to the building. CL&P needs to install a transfer to actually energize the building.” Electricity is on temporary poles running to the academy until underground conduits are complete.

Mr Geckle explained that generators are the most likely solution to power the building. He has spoken with youth academy owner Peter D’Amico this week, and intends to determine if the town is responsible for covering costs for the generators. “I need to work out the facts about the temporary measures,” he said. “If we’re responsible, we’re responsible.”

Where did the delays take place? Who is responsible for the delays? These are questions he needs to answer, he said. Explaining that he intends to “do the right thing between the two parties,” Mr Geckle stressed, “[The academy] is almost open. We’ll figure this out and fulfill our obligations.”

Yankee gas service lines are seeing installation this week while a propane tank — a measure both Mr Hurley and Mr Geckle had anticipated —– will fuel the building in the short term. Gaslines should be in before the end of the year, Mr Hurley said. They will run from Wasserman Way into the academy at the back of the campus.

Mr Hurley addressed the differences between a private project such as the academy and a public project. He said, “With town projects, you learn patience; it’s harder than the private sector. In the private sector you can make decisions and just go,” he said, unlike the many boards, commissions, and officials involved in town decisions. He also pointed to the ongoing opposition public projects — especially Fairfield Hills — has faced. With so many hands involved, the wheels turn slowly he explained.