Magnet School Not a Done Deal

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch has to resell the interdistrict magnet school proposed for Fairchild Memorial Park to his city's zoning board.

In a statement released earlier this week, Finch said, “On behalf of the City, I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the members of the Legislature who voted unanimously to approve the boundary change proposal between Bridgeport and Trumbull. Their historic vote will allow us to finally move ahead with the long-awaited plans for the Fairchild-Wheeler MultiMagnet High School on Bridgeport land.

“We expect to submit our application for land-use approvals to our Zoning Board by week’s end, and we’re fairly confident we can expedite the process so we can get this project off the ground as soon as possible.

"Once we get those approvals we’ll be able to put a shovel in the ground  and celebrate the hundreds of jobs this project will bring to the region. More importantly, we will be able to celebrate the ultimate results – a state-of-the-art school with 1,000 seats for Bridgeport children, offering a science and technology education unparalleled in the state," Finch said.

While Finch is happy, Trumbull democrats are not.

“This represents a historic setback for the Town of Trumbull,” said Nancy DiNardo, chairwoman of the Democratic Town Committee, in a letter. “Make no mistake about that. Trumbull would have gotten the magnet school—a good thing—but the town would also have had several million dollars to help in a variety of ways, and the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission would have been in a position to protect the neighborhood from the blasting and rock grinding that's going to occur there for the next two years.

"And in addition, the Trumbull Board of Education would have realized savings by having such a large group of students moving into the magnet school. That’s all gone,” she said.

First Selectman Tim Herbst, a republican running for re-election, said DiNardo and the democrats are contradicting themselves.

DiNardo, also chairwoman of the state's Democratic Committee, "makes no mention of the fact that [Democratic state Sen.] Anthony Musto spoke in favor of the legislation," Herbst said.

"She speaks with a forked tongue. Her recent comments are an act of desperation," Herbst said.

He added that there was more at stake in the land swap legislation. "The state told us they could not meet our request [for radio system upgrades]. If we did not acquiesce, the state would have filed its own request," he said.

If that happened, Trumbull would not have gained any land on top of losing its say in the school.

The DTC still contends Herbst made a bad deal, starting with a request for radio system upgrades to link Bridgeport and Trumbull emergency services. Trumbull would have been a secondary responder.

According to the committee, under the terms of the agreement, Bridgeport would have:

• Paid $1 million over 10 years to Trumbull.
• Paid several hundred thousand dollars to the Trumbull Center Fire District.
• Paid for road repairs on Quarry Road and Old Town Road.
• Covered all first-responder emergency services associated with the school.
• Provided the town of Trumbull 150 student slots in the school.

"Beyond that, Bridgeport was going to have to comply with the stringent oversight of the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission, and it would have had to pay the town of Trumbull about $750,000 for a building permit," the DTC letter states. 

"But at the last minute, Herbst upped the ante, asking the state government for $5.2 million for communications equipment and for additional road improvements," it stated.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had to approve the school by April 22 if the swap were not approved. That panel was discussing setting as many as 13 conditions, including covering blasting and carting schedules.

Park neighbors oppose putting the school there, citing traffic and noise concerns.