The Four Corners Priority Problem – Schools or Streetscapes?

The Four Corners Priority Problem – Schools or Streetscapes?

Brookfield is facing some major capital projects. Center Elementary School needs major work. Huckleberry Hill Elementary School needs a total renovation as noted by a Town Facilities Committee in 2012. Whisconier Middle School has aging portable classrooms. Brookfield may need to build a new school. The Library Board is planning a new library. Other projects include work needed at the Gurski site, enlarging the Police Department building, and a possible water line for the high school. The bill for the “streetscapes” at the Four Corners may ultimately be millions of dollars. Taxpayers will vote on a 1.7 million dollar appropriation on February 7, 2017 for the first phase of the Four Corners project.

In a “News-Times” article, (November 10, 2016) titled “Brookfield considers 22 proposals for new library” First Selectman Steve Dunn is quoted. “The problem we have is that we’re very passionate about all these things,” he said. “I’m not sure we’re going to have funding available to do all of those things at the same time. We have to make some hard decisions as to what we want.” Simply put, what are Brookfield’s priorities?

http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Brookfield-considers-22-proposals-for-new-library-10606978.php

The following quote from a News-Times article, “Brookfield's Four Corners plan a "downtown'' reality”, (July 31, 2012) shows what the Four Corners was supposed to be. http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Brookfield-s-Four-Corners-plan-a-downtown-3747588.php

“Four Corners plan highlights:

175 acres are in Four Corners/Town Center District

About 60 acres for commercial use

Nine acres for industrial use

148 total housing units on 72 acres; a mix of single-family and multifamily units; a small number of second-story apartments atop a business.

Prospects:

A community/civic facility such as a relocated library; a 750-seat community theater

A hotel or bed and breakfast

Access to the Still River Community recreational space

A sheltered public bus site

Increased restaurant and dining choices.

A brewery, coffee shop, grocery store, antique shops

As many as 291 additional residential units”

The 2017 reality is that the Four Corners is all about dense housing.

Residences at Laurel Hill – 72 units + 13 condominium units (already built)

The Renaissance – 120 units - approved

Greene Acres – 100 units - approved

101, 103, 105 Laurel Hill – 98 units - approved

The Enclave – 181 units - approved

Brookfield Village – 72 units - approved

Riverview – 42 townhouses – already built

Newbury Village – 129 units – 55+ community – already built

Mill River Views (793 Federal Road) - built 2005 – 22 residential units –

In July 2015, the Planning Commission released its latest Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) outlining the public preference for the Four Corners Town Center to be made up of two story buildings. (2015 Brookfield Plan of Conservation and Development Effective July 2, 2015 Pages 60-61)

http://brookfieldct.gov/Pages/BrookfieldCT_BComm/Planning/2015%20POCD.pdf

Despite all of the studies, all the citizen surveys, and all the promises of a New England style village setting, there are no two story projects. All plans call for taller buildings and the overall density will project a Bronxlike urban environment. In some cities, buildings of this size would be required to be constructed with brick with no exterior wooden decks or porches for fire prevention. Will there be elevators for seniors?

Brookfield Village, the cornerstone of the Four Corners Town Center has been promised a tax abatement of 1.3 million from the town of Brookfield along with a low interest state loan of millions of dollars from CHFA. If the February 7th referendum is passed, the 1.7 million will come from the town’s taxpayers. Previously, Brookfield had appropriated money for the Four Corners. In a Town Meeting in February, 2014, Brookfield voters approved $250,000 to finance its portion of streetscapes funds ($790,000), with the balance of $540,000 to be paid from proceeds of a STEAP grant from the state.

Asking the developers to foot more of the bill is not totally unreasonable. When the “Miracle Mile”, Costco, was built, the Zoning Commission required the developers to pay part or all of the cost of widening Federal Road to four lanes. Recently, when Costco added the gas pumps, did Costco or the owners of the property pay for the new red light and road work? Who paid for the road work at the intersection of Federal Road and Route 133 for the Barnbeck Place project?

The best course of action is to renovate Huckleberry Hill Elementary School, to repair Center Elementary School, and decide on the disposition of Brookfield’s aging portable classrooms, possibly building a new school to replace the portables. This should be Brookfield’s priority to take care of its children. The town should vote “no” to any money for streetscapes for two reasons. One is the school facilities should be addressed first. The second reason is that the taxpayers should know the total cost of the streetscapes and the placing of the utility wires underground. The 1.7 million dollar referendum states that it is Phase One. Phase Two may cost 4 to 7 million dollars according to Greg Dembowski, the town’s project manager. Connecticut rejected Brookfield’s last grant application and there is little chance for more state grants. The Four Corners potential bill for Brookfield taxpayers is 8.95 million dollars (.25 million for STEAP grant, 1.7 million phase one, 7 million phase two). This does not include any state grants or the 1.3 million dollar tax abatement.

What are other towns doing for economic development? Ridgefield’s estimated 4 million dollar Main Street improvement project will be funded 80% by the Federal government, 20% by the State and 0% by the town taxpayers. Newtown is building the commercial town center that Brookfield should be building. The Village at Lexington Gardens is being constructed and already has tenants. Newtown’s tax incentive (the only “cost” for Newtown taxpayers) for this project will be less than Brookfield’s by over $400,000! (http://www.newstimes.com/business/article/The-Village-at-Lexington-Garden-lands-new-10840354.php)

In contrast, Brookfield has only the possibility of building a new library to anchor a town center at the Four Corners and to solve a parking problem. While a new library has merit, using a new library as a draw to the Four Corners makes the town look foolish. It is an admission that the town has no commercial development for its new town center. “Build it and they will come” is movie fiction.

The Four Corners is not the town center that residents wanted. In all of the surveys, I don’t believe that Brookfield citizens chose dense housing for their town center. I believe the schools should come first. Please make this referendum a vote on priorities. Brookfield needs to make hard choices but this choice is not that hard. Please vote “no” on February seventh.