The Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee held a meeting on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at the Newtown Municipal Center, Newtown, Connecticut.
Mr. Maurer called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm.
Present: Paul Lundquist, Robert Maurer, Ben Roberts, Nancy Roznicki, Alan Shepard, Gary Steele, Deborra Zukowski, and Stephen Zvon; Absent: Michael Floros and Michael Mossbarger
Public Participation: Ruby Johnson from 16 Chestnut Hill Road in Sandy Hook discussed the history of the Police Department with its first location at Edmond Town Hall. She submitted an excerpt from the Newtown Bee “Police Chief Presents a Plan for the Future” dated July 13, 2001, as well as a copy of U.S. Population Projections (2005-2050). She said the committee should consider the projection of the upcoming increase number of seniors. Ms. Johnson also discussed the presentation by Dr. Chung at the October 6th joint meeting of the Legislative Council and Board of Finance. She discussed the possibility of the Town closing of one of the. Although Dr. Chung projects that the number of children in the school system would not grow, she feels the Town should
bank land for any potential future education or other town needs. She also said with economic development coming into town (i.e., Advanced Fusion Systems), will there may be a need for apartments. Ms. Johnson also discussed the need for the High School to continue using Fairfield Hills as a location for their playing fields since they have limited acreage on their own site.
Approval of Minutes: Ms. Zukowski asked for the approval of the minutes to be tabled. Ms. Roznicki motioned to table the approval of the September 27, 2010 minutes. Motion seconded by Mr. Lundquist. Motion approved unanimously.
Subcommittee Updates (Expected Completion Dates)
Education Subcommittee (Roznicki*, Floros, Mossbarger, and Zukowski)
Estimated Completion Date - November 23, 2010. Ms. Roznicki said she was hoping to get the Board of Education to come in to one of this committee’s meetings but feels it may be difficult. She said the Board of Education will be having “coffees” (informal gatherings) at the schools where the first one will be held in the Middle School on October 26th. She feels attending these gatherings would provide an opportunity to gather information.
Public Safety and Municipal Administration Subcommittee (Floros*, Roznicki, and Zukowski)
Estimated Completion Date is November 23, 2010. Notes from special meeting are attached (Attachment A).
Resources and Infrastructure Subcommittee (Shepard*, Floros, Roberts, and Zvon)
Mr. Shepard said the committee is gathering information and cost figures on infrastructure (lighting costs, water lines, sewer and electrical). The electric around the loop is updated but the sewers are in need of work. In speaking with a number of builders and developers, he found little to no interest in a 30 year lease, there is little interest in a 99 year lease, and purchase discussions include questions on infrastructure. He found that with costs, it would take approximately 50 residential units to make housing revenue neutral.
Commercial Subcommittee (Maurer* and Mossbarger, Shepard, Zvon)
Estimated Completion Date is November 23, 2010.
Open Space, Recreation, and Social Services Subcommittee (Mossbarger*, Lundquist, and Zukowski)
Item Tabled
Process and Public Participation Subcommittee (Lundquist*, Mossbarger, Roberts, and Steele)
Estimated Completion Date April 2011. Mr. Lundquist said the subcommittee will need to gather information from other subcommittees before they begin public meetings or focus groups. Although he does not expect any larger public meetings to occur until after the first of the year, they can start with some smaller efforts. Meeting notes from their October 10, 2010 meeting is attached (Attachment C). He said that other subcommittees would channel information to this subcommittee in order to plan the engagement of the public. Mr. Lundquist discussed several ways to gather input from the community, including public hearings, qualitative discussion group sessions, World Café and focus group sessions, on-line discussion groups and quantitative surveys through the media, etc.
Housing Subcommittee (Zvon*, Floros, Maurer, and Steele)
Mr. Zvon stated that preliminary numbers show that renovation of the existing buildings for apartments could be done anywhere from $160 per square foot up to $300, depending upon the type of apartments. Mr. Zvon said Fairfield Hills could combine housing, municipal offices, community centers and open space, as well as bringing in some businesses. The demographics are important for this committee in order to determine the size of the apartments and the number of bedrooms needed. Mr. Zvon said he would like to see the use of Fairfield Hills agreeable to the majority and also have the campus be either revenue producing or revenue neutral.
Demographics Subcommittee (Zukowski*, Lundquist, and Steele)
Estimated Completion Date is November 12, 2010. Notes from special meeting on October 8, 2010 are attached (Attachment B). Ms. Zukowski said they are trying to get ahead to supply information for other subcommittees. She said their current progress and point of views are represented in their minutes.
Meeting with Bob Geckle and Walt Motyka – Ms. Roznicki said they will be at the November 12, 2010 meeting.
The committee discussed who to invite to speak at committee meetings, some suggestions include Fred Hurley, representatives from the Board of Education, Julia Wasserman, Liz Stocker, as well as someone who may be able to speak to the potential of Fairfield Hills in its grandest vision.
Mr. Shepard said he heard that having the Municipal Center in the middle of the property limits the potential. Ms. Roznicki said one developer said that it took him 14 minutes to get from the New York state line to Fairfield Hills, which could attract a large business. She said it’s a different view point from Mr. Struna saying that housing would be the attraction. She discussed a park in North Carolina near a corporate triangle she visited where there was an amphitheater and sculpture garden in a campus setting and that during a walk at Fairfield Hills on a weekend, there were people walking, taking pictures and even someone training a dog up on the high meadow. Mr. Shepard said he has heard a lot of feedback with a sports themes and said there is limited space for organized sports in
Fairfield County.
Public Participation – Ms. Johnson discussed the history of the Children’s Adventure Center building and the site of the Senior Center. She then discussed the history of data and studies done for Ridgefield in 1985 where the study showed that with the increase of economic development, the taxes increased. It was found that this was due to the fact that the people who came in to work for the companies required town services for their families.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. The next meeting will be held in the Council Chambers on Monday, October 25th at 7:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Tammy Hazen, Clerk.
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