The longstanding debate about whether housing belongs on the town’s Fairfield Hills campus will be on the Nov. 3 ballot along with Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The referendum about whether to allow housing as part of a commercial redevelopment in no more than two of the empty former psychiatric hospital buildings on the Fairfield Hills campus was originally planned for April before the coronavirus arrived. A 2019 survey of 1,800 Newtowners confirmed that housing remains an unpopular option, with many believing that apartments would ruin Fairfield Hills’ park-like character. To date, Newtown has spent $38 million on Fairfield Hills, a figure that includes the demolition of abandoned buildings and the construction of new buildings, including the Newtown Municipal Center, and the newly opened Newtown Community Center.
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