FFH Housing Option May Be Fading

By Kendra Bobowick

Investment possibilities with financing and plans in place that could bring apartments to Cochran House “will be toast” by April, broker Michael Struna confided to housing and commercial subcommittee members of the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee on Wednesday.

“Toast?” asked subcommittee member Steven zVon.

Mr Struna explained, “We were operating under the theory that the review was happening in December.” He does not feel his developer can wait four more months without an idea if the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee and other town officials will revise the 2005 master plan to include housing. Housing is currently not on the list.

With a warning, Mr Struna said, “There might be another guy by then, but it’s not going to be this guy.”

Two days prior, on Monday, October 25, the review committee marked the early spring month as a tentative date to complete its work, rather than the December date. (See related story).

Mr zVon, eager to get something concrete in front of the public, suggested disseminating plans, for example. Without mentioning the developer’s name, Mr Struna said, “This guy needs a couple weeks for prep. I’ve got him going.”

From the back and forth with Mr Struna came the idea to hold a public forum, with joint boards, and “open it up to the community,” said Mr Struna. “Let him present what he is doing, let people give feedback, and at the end of the day we will all have an idea [of whether or not his plans will work for Newtown].”

“I think we have to start ‘doing,’” said Mr zVon. “We say, ‘Here is a viable option, here is what it is,’ and let people sink their teeth into it.”

Is this developer legitimate? Mr Struna was asked. “Absolutely,” he assured. “This guy is prepared, he’s got the funding ...” Saying only that his is a national company and not “fly-by-night,” and Mr Struna noted the developer’s company “has also been hired by the state in an economic development capacity.”

Mr Struna stressed again that Fairfield Hills reuse, “in my opinion, without a residential component, economic development is not possible. We need people [on the site].”