To the Editor:

Like many Newtown residents, I've enjoyed taking walks through our Fairfield Hills campus. I've also been saddened to see so many beautifully crafted buildings fall slowly into ruin. How can we rescue, restore and reuse these architectural assets? I recently discovered an excellent website developed by Newtown resident Michael Taylor: www.RedevelopmentInstitute.org

The site is rich in resources that focus on many aspects of redevelopment, including those that apply to Fairfield Hills – remediation of lead and asbestos contamination, repurposing of old buildings, sourcing grant money and other financial resources, developing productive public-private partnerships for redevelopment.

Many other communities have faced redevelopment challenges like those at Fairfield Hills. We can learn from them, and this nonprofit website might be a good place to start.

Tim Snyder

Walnut Tree Hill Road, Sandy Hook             May 13, 2014