Leadership Needed On Fairfield Hills

To the Editor,

I want to thank the Public Building Committee for Fairfield Hills for going on record and saying they think the town should purchase Fairfield Hills. They obviously gave it a lot of study and a lot of thought and then came up with a positive decision.

Our selectman, who has not come up with a positive decision in this vital matter and has shown absolutely no leadership in this entire issue, had the temerity to tell them their decision was “out of order” and that they had gone “far afield” in passing their motion. What they did was to provide a sense of leadership, a thought, an idea of a way to go with this thought provoking issue.

I am really tired and frustrated with a leader who shows no leadership at all. The only thing we hear him say for months is that we need to know what to do with this property before we purchase it. Well, what ideas has he come up with? The Bee Web page is full of intelligent suggestions. People have been sending in great ideas to the Letter Hive. He also keeps saying that we don’t know how much the land will cost. Well why doesn’t he go to Hartford and find out? We could very likely get the whole thing for $1 if he would just let the state know what we are going to do.

The state is currently trying to get rid of 3 former mental hospital sites so we are at an advantage there. Let’s talk about it at the Capitol. Let’s do something.

In a November, 1999 letter, Sen David Cappiello said that Connecticut has recently renewed its diligent focus on preserving open space.

The changes came about in 1997 with the passage of a law that set Connecticut’s goal for acquiring land designated as open space to not less than 10 percent of the state’s total land area. That is approximately 320,500 acres. As of 1997, 210,000 acres were set aside as open space. For this coming year Connecticut has appropriated $20 million for the recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program. It has also appropriated $12 million to be used by the Protected Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program. He says Connecticut is making great strides in preserving open space. Sen Cappiello says they wish to continue the programs they have put in place to reach their goal. Sounds to me like there is a chance for a great opportunity to acquire the property for nothing, if our leader would just show some leadership and do some negotiating.

I also take issue with his comment in the letter to The Bee that the cost per acre of this property (which he doesn’t yet know what it is) is such that the highest and best use is not a 40-acre sports complex. Well, the highest and best use for any property is to benefit the children of Newtown. They are our future. They deserve the best.

Rita Willie

51 Butterfield Road                      December 1, 1999