Lee Farm still on Army's radar screen

DANBURY -- Military officials said Wednesday they are continuing their interest in the Lee Farm property for a U.S. Army Reserve Center despite recent comments from the mayor that the land may not be available.

"We are still keeping negotiations open with the land owner and are still interested in the property," said Todd Hornback, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He stressed, however, that no final decision on the location of the reserve center has been made.

Earlier this week Mayor Mark Boughton said he's had several discussions with the owner of the Lee Farm property about a development plan that would include open space and some residential development, but no reserve center.

On Wednesday Boughton said Lee Robinson, one of the controlling owners of the 300-plus-acre property, "wants to see the property developed in line with what the community wants."

"The community has said they clearly don't want a training facility there, and he's willing to work with us," Boughton said. "But clearly it's his property, and we can't say there will be no development there."

Boughton said he supports the reserve center being built in the city, but there are plenty of other properties where it could be located.

About 25 acres of the Lee Farm property along Wooster Heights Road was highlighted in a draft environmental assessment report released last month as the preferred location for the reserve center.

Other locations mentioned in the report are in Oxford and Middlebury.

Hornback stressed that no decision will be made until the public comment period has concluded later this month and a final environmental assessment report is released.

He added that any property being considered has to be "available and on the market."

If the Lee Farm property were not available, he said, "we would have to look at other options. That's why we look at more than one site during the environmental assessment phase."

City Council minority leader Tom Saadi said the Army has received fewer than a dozen comments to date and it is important that residents, whether they support or are opposed to the center, submit their comments for the official record.

"I want to underscore how important it is for people to send their comments or concerns to the Army," Saadi said. "The military is required by law to respond to every comment or question they receive."

Contact Dirk Perrefort

at dperrefort@newstimes.com or at 203-731-3358.