EDC revisits Milliplane lot as safety, infrastructure constraints loom over redevelopment

The Fairfield Economic Development Commission on March 5 agreed to reconvene a small subcommittee to prepare a white paper on reuse options for underutilized town parcels, including the Milliplane Road lot across from the train station, but members said transportation and safety constraints could prevent near‑term redevelopment without larger infrastructure fixes.

Staff told commissioners the white paper would outline development possibilities, demographic context and likely impediments to redevelopment and that the subcommittee — currently staffed by two commissioners and town staff — aims to return a polished proposal within 30 to 60 days. The proposal may consider coordinating reuse of the Milliplane parcel with parks and recreation assets and the nearby train station.

Commissioners flagged road safety as a core obstacle. “I see accidents on there almost every day. Severe accidents,” one commissioner said, noting the five‑leg intersection and frequent emergency responses. Staff and other members said the underpass by the corridor floods regularly and that the intersection currently operates at a poor level of service, which limits stacking and vehicle throughput and creates pedestrian safety concerns.

Staff cautioned that those constraints mean significant investments — likely at the state or federal level — would be required to make certain redevelopment scenarios feasible. The commission discussed options for elevating the issue to policymaker agendas to attract grant or program funding and recommended documenting potential public‑private partnership scenarios so town leadership can better advocate for larger capital projects.

The discussion also considered short‑term steps to unlock value: a proposal surfaced to relocate seldom‑used town storage at Sportslex to another municipal parcel to free up space near the Post Road corridor, and staff described the Turner Reserve (an Army Reserve Center on High Street) being acquired by the town through a no‑cost conveyance that carries restrictions limiting future use to recreational purposes. That restriction would permit relocating Parks & Recreation functions — and possibly the senior center — to Turner Reserve, which could free the current parks and recreation site for other development uses if the town chooses.

Commissioners stressed that the process will be slow and iterative. Staff said reconvening the small task force and producing the white paper would help the town present a coherent case to transportation and funding agencies, and the commission voted to move forward with the subcommittee work and return recommendations at a future meeting.