Date: Fri 03-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

politics-Fairfield-Hills

Full Text:

Candidates Differ On How Newtown Should Approach Fairfield Hills' Future

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The State of Connecticut is currently exploring all its options for the

Fairfield Hills property.

The fate of the sprawling 675-acre state-owned property could have

far-reaching effects on the town of Newtown. In the hands of developers, the

land could be used for massive residential development, putting added strain

on the town's tax base. A better use, many town officials believe, would be

some sort of corporate park or education facility. The final decision will

come from Hartford.

The state gave the town 22.6 acres and two buildings on the campus as part of

a 1991 legal settlement over the jail. It has also agreed to lease an

additional 33 acres near Commerce Road for one dollar a year. An additional

250 acres has been turned over to the Department of Agriculture to be set

aside for agricultural uses.

But what about the rest of the land? What role can Newtown have in the future

of Fairfield Hills? The two candidates for first selectman have their own

ideas.

Democrat Herb Rosenthal believes the town's next first selectman needs to take

an aggressive stand with the state to ensure the town has an equal say in the

final decision.

Republican Russ Melita believes the decision is in the hands of the state. The

town, he said, must take a collaborative approach to at least make sure the

town doesn't feel the brunt of what goes on up there.

Mr Rosenthal doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the state government.

He doesn't trust it, and he believes the town must be vigilant in order to

keep the pressure on Hartford to make sure Newtown has a say in what

eventually happens at Fairfield Hills.

Just look at the state's track record in Newtown, he said, pointing to the

state's decision to build Garner Correctional Facility and the changing of the

completion date for the bypass road through the former state mental hospital.

"We can't sit back. We need to force our way in to be an equal partner with

the state," he said. "I know the state has all the power, but the town has the

power of public opinion."

Mr Rosenthal said he wouldn't be surprised if the state decided to sell the

land for residential development, saying it wouldn't be the first time

Hartford reneged on an agreement. He's still not convinced that the state's

giving the town Watertown Hall was such a good deal.

Mr Melita takes a different position, believing that an adversarial

relationship with the state would be a detriment to the town.

"This is really a state issue," he said. "We were fortunate enough that [State

Rep] Julia Wasserman was able to gain a seat for the first selectman on the

(Implementation Oversight Committee) so at least the town will be in a

position where it'll know what is going on and have at least a say."

In truth, Mr Melita said, there is little the town can do to affect the

state's decision-making. If elected, he'd take a collaborative approach

(create a partnership) so that the town would more easily be able to put forth

what it feels would be good for the state.

"We need to have a partnership where we can say, `Let's see what's best for

the state, but let's not hurt Newtown in the process,'" Mr Melita said.

The Republican first selectman candidate said he'd like to see as much of the

property preserved as possible.

"I would fight any development up there that would hurt the natural resources

of this town, like soil and water," he said.

Much of Fairfield Hills is currently zoned for one acre residential. In the

hands of the state, the land currently supersedes local zoning laws. However,

if it were ever to be sold, the new owners would have to abide by the town's

land-use regulations.

Mr Melita said he'd like to see some large pharmaceutical company move to the

hills. Mr Rosenthal has similar ideas, but he wonders how economically viable

it would be for the 250 acres of open space land to remain idle. He is still

interested in a study to see how feasible it would be to construct a golf

course there.

Talk of a golf course gets Julia Wasserman's dander up. She headed a task

force in 1994 which recommended a variety of possible uses for the former

hospital. A golf course was not one of them.

Rep Wasserman has spent years working with the state's Office of Policy and

Management (OPM) in an effort to ensure that the land is used in the best

possible way. She believes Newtown's future dealings with the state should

build on the work done by her task force and not try to recreate it.

Mr Rosenthal commented on concerns that being too aggressive in Hartford might

ruffle some feathers. "If there's some private deal going on that I'm

upsetting the apple cart by saying these things, I'd like to know what it is."

OPM recently hired a consulting company to determine the best use for the

land.

In December of 1995, the state's Department of Mental Health ended operations

at Fairfield Hills. The campus includes more than 100 buildings that enclose

1.65 million square feet of open space.