The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received October 27, 2025.
On Election Day, Haddam voters will make a generational decision: whether to keep the Town Garage on the Rossi property in the center of Higganum or relocate it to a more appropriate location. Where we choose to place this facility will shape Higganum’s future for decades to come.
As a member of Haddam’s Planning and Zoning Commission, I have studied the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), reviewed the town’s materials, and read the consultant proposals closely. From both a planning and financial standpoint, the Firehouse site is the most viable, most responsible, and most future-focused decision.
The Rossi property sits at the heart of our town on valuable, waterfront land that is central to our POCD. That plan calls for a walkable village center with small businesses, public gathering places, housing options, and waterfront access. Those goals are simply not compatible with a heavy-industrial municipal facility. Investing millions to modernize a garage there would permanently lock in an industrial park at our town’s core, rather than create the vibrant town center residents have asked for and deserve.
Financially, too, the Rossi proposal is short-sighted. While the town flyer claims it is the cheapest option, that comparison ignores what we lose by blocking development on our most valuable land. A thriving village center would bring new tax revenue and private investment, opportunities that vanish if the site remains a storage yard for vehicles, fuel, and road materials. Developers will not invest in a town center dominated by trucks, plows, and industrial storage.
The Rossi property is a Brownfields site, which means redevelopment comes with added environmental steps, but also unlocks state and federal grants, developer investment, and economic incentives designed to transform exactly these kinds of properties. When a town has vision, Brownfields become part of vibrant town centers. When it does not? They remain industrial, undeveloped, underused, and a drag on the tax base. Choosing to keep the garage there is not avoiding cost, it is choosing the costliest outcome of all: allowing Higganum’s core to remain stuck, and severely limiting future growth for our town.
The Firehouse site, by contrast, is already town-owned and allows us to consolidate emergency and public works services, improving efficiency and coordination. The consulting engineers have confirmed that roadway access can be constructed at a safe, manageable grade on this site, well within accepted standards used in countless New England towns. If Vermont can manage snowplows on hills, Haddam can, too.
There is a third option, the Cedar Lake site. While feasible, it brings higher site preparation costs, longer routes during storms, and a location farther from the center of operations. If we can responsibly build at the Firehouse site while unlocking the Rossi property for long-awaited revitalization, that is clearly the highest-value outcome for our community.
We have already seen what happens when a town center loses vitality. Our schools close, businesses struggle, young families and developers look elsewhere. We do not need another reason to be overlooked. I believe in a better future for Higganum. I believe we deserve a true town center. And we already own the land that can help us build it.
Let’s use it wisely. Vote to place the Town Garage at the Firehouse site —
and give Higganum its future back.
Mike Karam, Higganum
