2 Selectpersons Not Yet On Board With Draft Fairfield POCD

FAIRFIELD, CT — Two members of the three-person Board of Selectpersons said Monday that as currently presented, they would not support the draft of the Fairfield Plan of Conservation and Development, over a lack of economic analysis and other concerns.

Selectman Tom Flynn and Selectwoman Nancy Lefkowitz were quick to add, during a selectpersons' meeting, that they support aspects of the draft plan, and look forward to more robust conversations about its contents.

"If this plan were before me now, I could not support it," Flynn said. "Not because I don't agree with a lot of it, I just don't understand what it's telling me."

Flynn, who in the past has served on the Board of Finance, said that the draft lacks economic details, such as will the town need more schools or fire stations if the town grows in the future, and what are the potential economic impacts of such events.

"I couldn't support the plan, because it doesn't tell me where the town is going, in a concise manner," Flynn said.

At 75 pages, the Plan of Conservation and Development "guides land use and infrastructure investment priorities over a 10-year horizon."

In its introduction, the POCD seeks to present the town's values as it pertains to conservation and development:

This POCD is organized around a series of statements that reflect the values of Fairfielders
and articulate a vision for what Fairfield should be. They include:

• A Resilient Community
• An Environmentally Rooted Community
• A Community that is Home for All
• A Sustainably Prosperous Community• An Interconnected Community
• A Community Where People Come Together

Lefkowitz agreed that the draft document lacks economic specificity, but also said that while officials have worked on it for years, with a pause during COVID, the process still feels rushed because there has not been enough discussion of the draft by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

"The community and the commission deserve the opportunity for robust discussion," Lefkowitz said. "The community really wants to be engaged. We have the time, let's take it."

Under state law, communities must update their POCD every 10 years, and the last time Fairfield updated its document was 2017, meaning the town still has years left before needing to finalize it.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said there has already been significant input from the public on the POCD, adding that the discussion is far from over.

In an email to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission, resident Bud Morten argues that the public has not had "enough time to analyze and consider all the ramifications of the proposed changes" within the town. Additionally, the draft document does not address traffic concerns and other issues.

"This plan does not propose wholesale change throughout the town," said Planning Director James Wendt, adding that no deadline has been imposed on when the town should have it completed. "This is a work in progress."

The Board of Selectpersons was not voting on the document on Monday, so their comments were meant as suggestions to the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for upcoming discussions.