Candidates differ on CCRC, share views

Written by Andrew Kersey, Assistant Editor
Friday, 30 October 2009 05:39

Civility and like-mindedness characterized last week’s candidates’ forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the New Canaan Advertiser, though use of public park land provided some room for debate.

Out of a dozen issues presented for discussion, two-time first selectman candidate Sally Hines and incumbent Jeb Walker disagreed substantively on only one — the proposal for a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Waveny Park.

“I do not support [a CCRC] on Waveny land,” said Hines, “because I see it as serving a very narrow swath of highly affluent individuals.”

She added that she does “support it as a concept” but believes there are other areas in New Canaan that it could be built.

Walker countered that the public is “owed a real proposal to deal with before we draw a conclusion on that,” and he suggested that other privately owned facilities in the park, such as the Carriage Barn and the Powerhouse Performing Arts centers, have added value to the community.

“I’d be hesitant to unilaterally say that I don’t want to make public space available for the right purpose,” he said.

Both agreed, however, a referendum on the issue may become necessary.

On nearly every other issue, the candidates were largely of one mind, prefacing most of their responses with phrases such as, “Let me just echo what Sally said” (Walker) and “We may as well be Siamese twins on this one” (Hines).

For example, both favored possibly borrowing money in the near future for the renovation of Town Hall to take advantage of “incredibly low building prices” and “historically low interest rates.” But Walker also acknowledged such a multi-million-dollar project is a tough sell “when we’re asking everyone else to tighten their belt.”

Each listed the continuing excellence of the public school system and a reinvigorated downtown commercial district as two of their top priorities.

They differed only on their third stated priorities, which for Walker was fiscal discipline and which Hines listed as “good stewardship of our parks and open spaces.”

They both highlighted what they described as a heightened sense of civility in Town Hall during their last two years in office, citing the changed tone as a “major accomplishment.”

Hines, however, used the occasion to point out a “disappointing example of some partisanship” in the recent flare-up over the school district’s handling of President Barack Obama’s address to students.

The schools’ limited airing of the speech and the resulting national media attention “did not reflect well on New Canaan,” she said.

But each candidate agreed that “in the main, there is not a lot of partisanship” in town government.

Walker also underlined his record of fiscal responsibility.

“What really tested my leadership was the worst economy in my lifetime,” he said, identifying “rapidly declining revenues, a state government with a $9-billion deficit and the high expectations of our community” as key challenges. “I was committed to delivering a drastically reduced budget that would spend less this year than we spent last year. We had to adjust to a nearly $3-million shortfall from reduced revenues from conveyance fees, building permits and investment income. Cutting spending was imperative.”

In fact, he identified “getting some control of expenses” as the most important issue facing the town going forward. He also said in his closing remarks, however, that “social and health services need to be heightened in these times.”

Hines, by slight contrast, remarked at several points that “managing and controlling the budget is not an issue per se, but a philosophy that will undergird all of my decisions made as first selectman.”

On the contentious issue of a proposal by the Planning & Zoning Commission to rezone a section of the commercial district west of Grove Street, both candidates generally supported the department’s efforts.

Walker said the rezoning plan came out of a downtown strategic study completed in 2007 and that the changes proposed are “necessary.”

He also called for a “professionally done traffic study before we move forward with any change,” a position first put forward by a group of local merchants and residents known as the Committee for Downtown New Canaan, which is opposed to the plan altogether. (See related story, Page 1A)

The town recently received a $75,000 grant through the state’s Small Town Economic Assistance Program for a market demand study of the rezoning plan, but so far P&Z has been noncommittal on the more costly traffic study.

Hines said opponents of the plan, with whom she has spoken, “believe it’s a zero sum game — if you add any kind of commercial or retail or mixed use to those (outer) zones, it will inevitably take away from the Magic Circle.”

Hines said she disagreed with that characterization, adding that the proposal is more about “synergy” among the commercial zones.

People of “all ages and stages” in urban and suburban areas want mixed use development, she said, quoting the results of a published research project from her alma mater, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Today’s residents prefer development that allows them to “live and walk to retail and cultural activities and public transportation.”

To that end, the candidates were asked to weigh in on the idea of building the much disputed retirement facility within the proposed Zone D, as opposed to public park land.

Calling it an “exciting possibility,” Hines nevertheless said, “There is not enough data at this point.”

Likewise, Walker called it an idea whose time has not yet come.

He stressed in his closing remarks the need to reach out to those “in our community who are feeling the adverse effects of the economy or aging” through increased social and health services.

“We must be diligent in providing services for these unfortunate few. My ability to face these challenges was forged in my successful business career and sharpened by last two years as your first selectman. I’m honored by your trust, I love my job and I feel I’ve earned the right to continue.”

Hines, in turn, concluded by highlighting her “leadership skills in budget oversight, consensus building and negotiation.” She said she is “committed to open and transparent government in deed as well as word.”