A ‘Native’ Approach Favored For Fairfield Hills Landscape

By Kendra Bobowick

Redesign plans for Fairfield Hills have momentarily moved away from the quiet brick buildings and into the landscape.

The tree canopy, for one, has stolen a few moments of attention away from the empty structures that have stood with indifference to weather damage and deterioration for more than a decade. Focus settled instead on the meandering hillside — at first seen as a canvas to ornamental species including Kwanza cherry or Sweetbay magnolia, but will likely become the backdrop for oaks or white pines as part of a “native approach,” to future plantings based on landscape design guidelines, said Tom Hammerberg with Stantec Architecture (formerly Vollmer Associates LLP).

“It’s better than ornamentals,” Mr Hammerberg said. Conservation Official Rob Sibley said he had informally offered his thoughts recently when he saw a copy of the guidelines.

“I said that if you have a guideline, use what’s recommended — the plant list.” This list is noted in the appendix of the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual of 2004.

Following last month’s meeting, Authority Chairman Robert Geckle said that he believed board members were open to the new idea, “by virtue of the fact that no one spoke up and didn’t disagree with [Mr Hammerberg’s] comments,” he said. “I believe everyone agreed with his recommendations.”

Plant material listed in a draft of the design guidelines had stated, “Ornamental trees create beauty, develop character, and add interest when planted around entrances, buildings and areas of high pedestrian circulation,” but recent conversations with Zoning Enforcement Officer George Benson and Mr Sibley steered these plans in a “native” direction.

Native plants and natural species work well with the rest of the wildlife living in the region, Mr Benson explained. He said, “It’s better for the environment, the birds, insects.” He also likes the odds of native species’ survival rates.

From a growth standpoint, he said, “People ask us, and we say, ‘Look around, look what’s doing well.’ Sometimes ornamentals don’t do well,” he said. A specimen’s lifespan, “and many other things,” also play a role in selecting plantings, he said.

Mr Sibley said, “Native plants are beneficial to the site as a whole…they’re sometimes more tolerant of drought and are used to the climate, they’re pest resistant.”

Further promoting the use of native species, he explained, “A native plant continues to enhance the existing conditions for native habitats.” In contrast, imported species could alter the soil’s acidity levels, preventing other plants from inhabiting the area, he said.

Often, nursery or engineered plants may be pretty, but have their drawbacks.

“They are bred for aesthetics,” he said. For example, a weeping cherry tree is not something that occurs in nature. Engineered plants can revert back to an invasive state, and may require more maintenance, he said.

A nonnative plant — the Norway maple — is prevalent at Fairfield Hills and elsewhere because it was a favorite from the 1950s and 1960s, Mr Sibley said. “It was shady and it grew fast, but displaced a lot. It’s got dense shade and a lot can’t grow beneath it.” By comparison, a native species — the red maple — sheds a dappled shade that does not block out sunlight.

As described in the DEP manual’s introduction, the document offers guidance on the measures necessary to protect the waters of the state of Connecticut from the adverse impacts of postconstruction stormwater runoff. The guidance is applicable to new development, redevelopment, and upgrades to existing development. The manual focuses on site planning, source control and pollution prevention, and stormwater treatment practices. The appendix contains suggested plant lists for trees, shrubs, grasses, native plants, and more. (Visit the DEPs website at www.ct.gov to view the full document.)

Mr Hammerberg told the Fairfield Hills Authority members that he would work with town officials including Mr Sibley to decide “where to go from here.”

Although his suggestions had been informal, this week, Mr Sibley said, “I would offer my services if the [authority] asked.”

The Landscape Design Guidelines crafted for the Fairfield Hills redesign project address the landscaping, lighting, signs, sidewalks, roads, bicycle racks, and even trash containers, and is intended to create continuity among what may be a handful of unaffiliated tenants.

The draft states, “These standards should be used when preparing preliminary landscape plans in association with all commercial, institutional, and planned development projects…”

A Note On Development

Another document — A Commercial Development Opportunity — which is intended to sell Fairfield Hills to potential developers continues to occupy the authority’s attention. Mr Geckle said, “We’ve got two or three active discussions going, we’re hopeful.”

The draft provides an at-a-glance review of what the campus offers to a variety of prospective tenants including companies relocating corporate offices, retail and restaurant ventures, doctors’ offices, and other occupants who would enjoy the rustic grounds surrounded by open fields and walking trails. The package notes that Fairfield Hills is located near Interstate 84 and Route 25, is a roughly one-hour ride to New York City, Hartford, Stanford, and White Plains NY. Stated in the draft are the commercial development opportunities include redevelopment of existing buildings, and new building development.

The authority is the landlord, and the town will remain in ownership of all the land, as explained in the draft. Each building open for lease is outlined and pictured in the document.

In past months the authority, under the advice of Robert W. Barclay, president of North American Realty Advisory Services, posted the document on the town web site, and also approaching several parties. Officials have received a combination of responses including several interests who have in mind specific uses for buildings, and another that Mr Geckle called a master developer who would redevelop “the whole area.”

“We can’t yet predict where it will go,” he said. Moving quickly are the plans for the town’s intent to occupy Bridgeport Hall, where the municipal departments and Board of Education offices will relocate.