P&Z Hears The Case For Bridgeport Hall — Again

By Andrew Gorosko

In response to Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members’ requests for more information about proposed revisions to the Fairfield Hills Master Plan, town representatives have detailed their reasons for why Bridgeport Hall is a more suitable building for conversion into town/school offices than Shelton House.

Town consultants for the ongoing town redevelopment of Fairfield Hills met on April 19 with P&Z members at a public hearing to explain the reasons for the Board of Selectmen’s requested master plan revisions. The P&Z took no action on the revisions. Action is expected at an upcoming session.

At an April 12 public hearing, the P&Z had asked the consultants to substantiate the proposed revisions to the master plan. At that session, the proposed use of Bridgeport Hall for town/school office space had drawn criticism from some townspeople, who questioned whether such a project is necessary.

Following structural and architectural analyses performed for the town, the selectmen concluded that Shelton House would be unable to effectively meet municipal office space needs through a renovation project. Additionally, the presence of flowing groundwater at the Shelton House site would make it unsuitable for the construction of a new office building, the selectmen found. Thus, the selectmen are now seeking to renovate the adjacent Bridgeport Hall for office use.

Planning consultant Richard Harrall of Harrall-Michalowski Associates of Hamden, representing the Board of Selectmen, said April 19 the selectmen have withdrawn a proposed master plan revision that had called for the creation of a pond at the site of a demolished Shelton House.

On April 12, a representative of the conservation group known as Trout Unlimited had told P&Z members that the presence of a new pond there could adversely affect trout habitat downstream in Deep Brook, which is a native trout breeding area. 

Thus, the selectmen’s current master plan revision request calls for the demolition of Shelton House, with no specific use recommended for its site, and also the conversion of Bridgeport Hall into town/school office space, Mr Harrall said.

An Architect Explains

Architect Ryszard Szczpek of Tai Soo Kim Architects of Hartford, representing the selectmen, explained why converting Bridgeport Hall makes more sense than other options for municipal office space.

The shape and geometry of Bridgeport Hall better lend themselves to good internal pedestrian circulation patterns than would Shelton House, he said. Also, it would be simpler to place mechanical equipment, including ductwork, in Bridgeport Hall, he said.

 Using the Shelton House site is complicated by the presence of a culvert that runs beneath the building carrying a brook, he said. High humidity in the building and basement flooding make the site a complicated, though not impossible, place to redevelop, he said.

It would be less costly to renovate Bridgeport Hall for town/school office use than pursuing the other options, he said. Also, Bridgeport Hall would be expandable if the town needs more space in the future, he said.

The 45,000 square feet of space needed for town/school offices would be available at Bridgeport Hall, he said. Of the 45,000 square feet of space, 33,000 square feet would be assigned for specific uses, and the remaining 12,000 square feet would be common areas, he said.

P&Z Chairman William O’Neil asked whether Shelton House would have any viable reuse.

Based on the building’s construction, it could be used as a hotel or a dormitory, but it is not suitable for use as a modern office building, Mr Szczpek said.

Demolishing Shelton House would release the town from maintaining the building, he said. “It’s a long-term operational headache,” he said.

Mr Harrall observed that the buildings at Fairfield Hills that formerly were used as patient residences are difficult buildings to reuse for other purposes. Those buildings have many small rooms and have load-bearing walls that limit their flexibility for reuse, he said.

The future uses of Fairfield Hills should strike a balance among community facilities, open space land, and private development, he said. Approximately 1,450 parking spaces in scattered areas are planned for Fairfield Hills, he said.

As the town redevelops Fairfield Hills in the coming years, the P&Z will receive a series of site development plans for review, he said.

Mr O’Neil asked whether there would be any drawbacks in the town converting Bridgeport Hall for town/school offices.

“I can’t think of any,” Mr Harrall replied.

“We have a piece of property [at Fairfield Hills] that can accommodate every municipal need for the next 20 to 30 years,” he said. Newtown is the only town in the state with such a situation, he said.

Consultant Scott Bailey of O&G Industries, representing the selectmen, said Bridgeport Hall is a structurally sound building that would lend itself well for conversion into town/school office space.

P&Z member Sten Wilson suggested that town reconfigure Edmond Town Hall on Main Street for better use of its interior space for offices.

Mr Harrall replied that renovating Edmond Town Hall is not feasible based on the results of a past study on modifying that building.