GoFundMe Effort Launched To Save Fairfield's Judd Estate

FAIRFIELD, CT — A new GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise money to fight against a planned affordable housing complex at 980 High St. in Fairfield.

Known as the Judd Estate, the 2.5-acre property is in the town's Holland Hill section, and it dates back to the 1800s when it was a farm. A portion of the site is wetlands that are part of the Rooster River watershed.

The project calls for the construction of 40 apartments spread among five buildings, and was proposed as an 8-30g development, meaning a percentage of the units must meet state affordability guidelines.

"The developer aims to pave over an open field, and destroy a mature forest to build this complex," organizers Stop the Flood, Save the Judd effort wrote. "An inadequate storm drainage system will allow pollution and runoff to spill into the wetlands at the back of the property. Wetlands function as flood basins during heavy rain events, so the destruction of this wetland will cause an increase in flooding around our neighborhood.

"We are currently raising funds to hire a specialist to study the developer's plans and prove the impact this development will have on this fragile wetlands ecosystem."

As of Monday, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $740 toward a goal of $6,500.

Neighborhood resident Peter Holmes told Patch that the project could have an adverse impact on the environment.

"This is a true David versus Goliath undertaking and the neighbors have truly rallied," Holmes wrote in an email. "If you recall, this initial proposal was denied by the [Inland Wetlands Agency] in 2019 as well as the appeal court in 2020. While the developer has made some tweaks to her plan, the overall size/scope has not changed. The neighbors' concerns have nothing to do with 8-30g but rather with size and scope, and the detrimental impact to our natural resources and drainage system, among other things."

The wetlands decision is being appealed by the developers.

To view the GoFundMe effort, click here.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story mentioned a different GoFundMe page, and also included a mention of the Conversation Commission; the commission is scheduled to continue discussion on the matter on Dec. 7.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.