FFH Hits A $21Million Milestone

By Kendra Bobowick

Fairfield Hills Authority members waded through a grab bag of topics Wednesday: leash laws, vandalism, finances, trails, and the coming year’s Relay for Life all drew attention. The meeting noted without fanfare the end of a process that began in 2001, when the town voted to appropriate roughly $21 million to purchase Fairfield Hills from the state and — among other priorities — establish a new town hall on the campus.

“The bonded money will all be spent,” said member Don Studley, including the more than $10 million in renovations at Bridgeport Hall to prepare the former state hospital building to welcome town and education department offices.

September 18 will begins the weeks-long plan to relocate municipal offices from the Edmond Town Hall and Kendro building on Pecks Lane to Bridgeport Hall, now known as the Newtown Municipal Center. First on the list is the IT Department. Through the end of October other municipal and Board of Education offices will follow.

Now finding a place on the town’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan are funding requests for demolition work to raze buildings that will not be reused or leased, complete a second phase of trails to surround the campus, and finish infrastructure upgrades. They anticipate $275,000 to finish the trails that will circle the campus perimeter, welcoming everyone. Authority chairman Bob Geckle said after the meeting, “What’s [already] there is popular.” The trails are “good for seniors, young people, people with baby carriages,” he added. Requests during the five-year period started at nearly $30 million, Mr Geckle confirmed, which was a lower number after the selectmen’s review. The Board of Selectmen approved a CIP for all town departments at $80 million, which goes before the Board of Finance later this month.

The authority unanimously approved a request to once again station the Relay for Life at Fairfield Hills. In an earlier discussion, member John Reed noted that the relay had attracted as many as 1,000 people to the park-like grounds. “The area could really develop as a general public hub for people to meet,” he said.

The meeting was not all good news, however. Two items especially are troubling authority members and others who visit and work at the campus.

Bombarded with phone calls and complaints, Mr Geckle said, “I am at a point where I am going to make a motion to have no dogs on campus.” Frustrated, he stressed that dog owners need to mind the leash law, pick up after their pets, and to keep their dogs off the playing fields. “We have got to do something about this,” he said.

Mr Reed added, “We all have to feel free to say, ‘I’m sorry, but a lot of people have worked hard to keep it clean…do you have a bag with you?’”

Mr Geckle later said that as a dog owner, he empathizes, noting it is only a minority of people either disregarding or unaware of the rules. He also explained, “No, we can’t bend the rules, I know my dog would not hurt anyone, but that is beside the point.” Rules are for everyone, he said, without exceptions. “Fairfield Hills is not a dog park,” he said. He asks that residents please be responsible dog owners. Many people, “just want to take their dogs for a walk,” he noted. Owners have expressed so in letters, “‘Hey dog owners, don’t ruin it for the rest of us,’” he pointed out.

Signs and better enforcement are among his thoughts for resolving the problem.

Vandalism is also worrying authority members and Maria DeMarco of DeMarco Management, which provides security for the campus. Ms DeMarco told the authority Wednesday that the vandalism has increased, and boarding up the buildings may not be the best answer. John Reed suggested that Ms DeMarco’s patrol guards might make regular rounds and might check at certain times various buildings’ status. “We have to be able to say, ‘This building was secured at 6 pm.” The checks might help establish at least a timeframe for break-ins. The police department may also play an increased role as activity increases at Fairfield Hills with town offices relocating there.

While the members also discussed studying which buildings are most frequently targeted, and other better but more expensive means of sealing the structures, the prevailing concern is safety. “We are very lucky that no one has been hurt,” Mr Reed emphasized. Mr Geckle said in a separate interview, “We worry about public safety. [Vandals] are exposed to a dangerous situation.” They break in during the night and enter a dark, often damp building containing mold, asbestos, and lead-based paint materials inside.