Although I’m a new resident here, I’ve been fortunate in helping advance the cause of affordable housing in Southbury.
As a member of the Affordable Housing Subcommittee (AHS) of the Planning Commission, I and AHS member Dominick Fatibene were privileged to be a part of a group that walked through Crawford Hall on the Southbury Training School (STS) campus arranged for and led by First Selectman Tim O’Neil.
The state’s Department of Housing is willing to fund a feasibility study and remediation of hazardous materials and has asked the town to obtain Requests for Proposals from engineering firms for a Feasibility Study and Phase 1 mitigation of hazardous materials.
Dominick and I, Selectwoman Cathy De Carli and other members of town government, the Naugatuck Valley Council of Government (NVCOG), Connecticut Department of Social Services, Kathryn Smith of the Southbury Affordable Housing Alliance, and an independent housing consultant, walked through this historic building’s lovely views and well-designed interior.
Climbing up and down three flights of stairs, we saw evidence of the need for remediation of lead, asbestos, mold, and animal habitation. STS staff told us that they were concerned about heating utilities built in the walls.
Tim’s vision for affordable housing in Southbury is not limited to Crawford Hall. He sees the 45-acre parcel of the STS Personnel Village as small affordable individual homes while Crawford Hall as one-and two-bedroom units for senior housing.
In his short time in office, Tim has worked collaboratively with state officials and NVCOG to complete state requirements of conveying Personnel Village to the town as enacted in legislation last year.
However, since Personnel Village is inaccessible to the public, Crawford Hall, for now, is our only visible inspiration for affordable housing along Route 172.
— Victoria Shere,
Southbury
The Southbury Record 