By Cherry Dumaual

NEW FAIRFIELD – The NF BOE h ad a packed agenda at its regular meeting on Thursday, January 18, consisting of the Presentation of Superintendent’s FY 2024-2025 Recommended Budget, and reports by the Board and Admini strative Communications. But the topic that generated intense discussion during the Public Participation was the School Bus Lot Proj ect, i.e., the school district’s controversial bus parking and transportation issues.

For perspective, Scott Pellman of Colliers International, a consultant for the new school building projects, gave a PowerPoint presentation of the Bus Lot Design Options, their challenges, funding, and future considerations. Mr. Pellman’s presentation covered various proposed options for screening buses, including planting evergreens and acoustical walls.

Public participation comments regarding the bus lot issue and the design options included remarks from a New Fairfield bus driver of thirteen years, who said she was representing her co-workers. She expressed that the Consolidated property is the best option and that something needs to be done to move the current location of the parking lot for the safety of the kids, otherwise she sees it as a serious accident waiting to happen.

BOE Chair Dominic Cipollone said the Board had a meeting with bus drivers and that there’s an important need to find the best location. He said school buses need to be parked in town, hopefully at Consolidated.

One of the speakers commented that the Consolidated site is a beautiful piece of property and that using it for a parking lot is probably not the best use of the land.

Visibly frustrated, BOE member/Secretary Kimberly LaTourette’s impassioned remarks focused on her appreciation of the bus drive rs who get the students to and from school safely and her frustration with people who do not like the looks of yellow buses going by their houses.  She emphasized that putting priority on green fields over the safety of drivers and students should not be part of the debate. Ms. LaTourette also referred to having found a spot for the bus lot – the Consolidated Field.

The frustration of the parents at the board meeting was also evident. The mother of a 6th and 10th grader said that to her knowledge the parking lot would go to the Consolidated site. Another mother said that having cars in the current lot is bad. She commented, “I don’t appreciate putting aesthetic value over safety or increased budget.” Putting the lot in other places besides Consolidated would be expensive for the town’s taxpayers, she added.

Another resident emphasized the safety concern about the high school parking and driving. She expressed the notion that the people NF voters elected should make a decision.

Toward the end of Public Participation, Cynthia Ross Zweig, chair of the New Fairfield Planning Commission , emphasized transparency in that this is a land use issue. She advised the BOE that an 824 referral was needed for the bus lot project and added that nothing has come before the Planning Commission regarding this.

The next NF BOE meeting is scheduled for Feb. 1, 7:00pm in the NF Community Room.