Letter To The Editor: Against Proposed Downtown Six Story High Rise

To the Editor:

I think most people that live in Fairfield would agree that the currently proposed six story housing development behind the community theater is a bad idea. The size, height and scope of this high-rise would change the landscape of the downtown area, create safety and flooding issues and be a major disruption to our downtown. Anyone that drives on Unquowa Road understands we do not have the infrastructure to support a residential building of this size and scope at this location.

And I believe most people would agree that the need for housing is real and building it near mass transit and shopping makes sense. A smaller three to four story building with retail on the first floor would be a no brainer. In this scenario, new housing would be developed while the commercial space on the first floor would help support the grand list of the town and lower property taxes for all residents. This is the type of proposal that should be encouraged by town leaders.

Instead of a smart development that Fairfield residents could get behind, we have a six-story affordable housing complex that few people want that will cause traffic, flooding and public safety problems without even mentioning the massive scale which is out of character with our historic downtown. I am proud of our grassroot fight to stop this project and the repeal of the 8-30g state statute that is being inappropriately invoked by developers across town to check a box to claim affordability while targeting specifically high net rental areas to subsidize the discount for the affordable units.

We need real leadership that will stand up for Fairfield residents and fight to change the state law, 8-30g, that ties the hands of town officials to deny projects like this. The state needs to scrap the 8-30g state statute and replace it with a program that helps towns build their own affordable housing. Working in the best interest of the town and protecting the historic charm of our downtown should not be a partisan issue. We need legislators that will represent our residents and not sit on the sidelines. And in the meantime, let’s get the parties together, scrap the current proposal and build something we can all be proud of for our town.

Brian Farnen
Former Fairfield state Representative