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 July 21, 2024.
On Tuesday July 23, 2024 Haddam will be holding a referendum from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to decide the future of the former Haddam Elementary School (HES), located in the middle of Higganum Center. Voting takes place at your regular polling stations.
When the regional Board of Education voted to close HES, against the wishes of most people in Haddam, it created an economic void in Higganum Center from which the town has not fully recovered. The town center lost its largest employer as well as significant foot and car traffic, which supported the area’s businesses.
The town has held several public hearings and meetings on HES, with a clear message from many people in town: that HES, along with the Green, could and should form the core of Higganum, as a center for activity, recreation and civic services.
However, achieving this goal may be expensive. State and local building codes will require bringing the building to modern codes if it is used for another purpose beyond that which it has been grandfathered for (a school). These costs are likely substantial, in the millions of dollars.
Mindful of these costs, the town leadership and staff have been exploring various options, including hiring a consultant to estimate costs of moving civic services into HES and exploring grants and bonds to alleviate those costs.
While the town’s decision to pursue a grant from the state, which would provide nearly $5 million in state dollars to help renovate the building but would also require partnering with a private developer to develop affordable housing for seniors, has proven controversial, from all I know this was a good faith effort to find a more affordable solution to move some key civic services into HES and expand recreation opportunities and uses of the facility.
Here is a summary of my thoughts on this matter.
1) At Board of Selectmen meetings, I strongly urged and voted that this be determined in a referendum. A referendum is the best means available to us to determine the wishes of townspeople. However, I am saddened to see that some people in town think this was an underhanded deal to sneak by townspeople. If this was the case, the town would not be convening multiple information sessions and holding a referendum! Regardless of the outcome, it’s important the decision be made with the input of as many townspeople as possible.
2) I, and I believe most people, agree that civic uses are the highest and best use for this property. The plan that townspeople will be voting on will move several key higher foot traffic services into HES, especially the Senior Center, which needs more space than it currently has.
3) I also think that HES should serve as a recreation gateway for Higganum, together with the Cove, ball courts and playgrounds, and a clearly marked trail system linking Swan Hill with the Cove and existing but unused rail line along the river. This can and should happen regardless of the vote outcome.
4) However, the costs of getting the building to code to move civic services into HES are real, in the millions of dollars. These high costs will be a major concern for town residents, and understandably so, especially considering the likely significant costs in upgrades to our regional school buildings.
5) The plan we are voting on this Tuesday, while not ideal, does allow us the opportunity to move essential civic services into HES, in a way that is affordable to our residents, while also providing much needed affordable housing for seniors in our community.
In an ideal world, we’d move as many town services into HES as possible. But a plan to move some key high traffic services into HES for essentially no or low cost to residents, along with approving affordable housing for seniors in the center, deserves a fair up or down vote open to all voters in town.
If townspeople approve it, I’m sure we can move forward in a way that will help revitalize the center. If we vote it down, we can continue to consider the best use for HES in a way that townspeople can both afford and support. The important thing is for as many people to vote as possible, to help guide the town in its efforts.
Peter Baird, Haddam
(The writer is a Democratic member of the Haddam Board of Selectmen)
