Your Voice

I recently spoke to a Fairfield resident and activist for smart growth and responsible development. He wanted to talk about the residential and commercial development that is aggressively challenging the character of area communities. He called to get a sense of where I fall on the many common development issues facing our town. For me it was an opportunity to learn more about the complex phrase “smart growth”, and examine the ideas that are being proposed that aim to foster growth that brings economic opportunity but does not destroy the strength and character of
Connecticut.

His highlighted concerns included:

1) The “Big Box Store”:

This is a guy who would literally give his life to prevent a big box store like Wal-Mart from coming into our town. He mentioned many of the ways these types of retail box stores degrade the quality and character of a town. He was passionate about how they threaten long time established mom and pop stores that help maintain our small town feeling.

2) New residential communities:

This one is scary because in the six and half years I have lived in Fairfield, I too, have witnessed open space dwindle as new home constructions pops up. I appreciate new construction and realize each new home adds to our tax base but worry as I drive by, “Oh, those homes are in the>

Riverfield School district, that school already has four portable class rooms??… Where are they going to put the additional kids that move into those new homes?”

3) Regulating building size:

Lastly, he brought up the over-development taking place as builders buy small homes to tear down and build massive replacement homes on small lots.

What can be done to address his development concerns???

He talked about a recent blue commission report on smart growth conducted by a group of concerned residents and appointed by the First Selectman. One of its proposed suggestions includes limiting the size and height of new construction particularly in existing residential communities. He pointed out that he strongly favors these types of restrictions but that others do not.

Another idea he brought up is the idea of legislating a town’s ability to charge “development fees” on various types of development projects based on their predicted use or overuse of town services. The idea is that if a developer comes in and builds 17 new homes on previously open space in a school district with already over crowded schools the town could impose a “development fee” to cover the additional cost to town services and schools. He pointed out that local towns are not allowed to impose such fees and that it would take action in the state legislature to create a system that from the top down helps our local communities stem off over-development. . It is an interesting concept and one I do not know much about, it appears only a handful of states have moved to dissuade over-development with these types of fees.