Survey Shows 44 Percent Against $3.28m Penfield Pavilion Rebuild

The town's online survey on whether residents favor the $3.28 million reconstruction of Penfield Pavilion's center and westerly sections shows 44 percent against, 33 percent in favor and 23 percent wanting the plans revised, according to First Selectman Ken Flatto's office.

About 140 people participated in the online "Bonding Survey," which was posted on the town's website in advance of Monday's financial planning summit and a Sept. 7 vote by the Board of Finance on the $3.28 million funding request.

"I don't know if you can even call that remotely representative of the population of Fairfield," said James Gallagher, chairman of the Penfield Pavilion Building Committee. "Nobody knew about it. I found out about it by accident. No matter which way the survey goes, I can't attach any credibility to a survey like this. Even if 99 percent were in favor, I can't attach any credibility to it."

Town officials posted the survey on the town's website without notifying anyone from the media and it was posted about two-thirds of the way down the home page's list of current topics. The survey was expected to remain on the website through Monday and possibly Tuesday as well, according to Flatto's office.

Gallagher said town officials shouldn't be governing by surveys and he said he thought the Board of Selectmen had done a good job in asking pertinent questions about the project on Aug. 18 before voting 3-0 to approve the $3.28 million funding request. "I know they made the right decision. It's a good investment for our town," he said. "I think it's 100 percent in the best interests of the citizens of the town of Fairfield."

Gallagher said he's also comfortable with the status of the project as it relates to the town's Board of Finance, saying the cost was significantly lower than a previous estimate of $3.8 million, which was based off an estimate from Malkin Construction Co.

Flatto, during the Aug. 18 Board of Selectmen's meeting, said e-mails he'd received on the project were pretty much of an even split between residents supporting and opposing the project.

Flatto said Monday afternoon that it was interesting "almost two-thirds of people who responded want to see some work done renovating Penfield."

"While there are differences of opinion on how much work should be done, it's interesting two-thirds do want to see town bonding improvements to Penfield," Flatto added.

Kate Daniello, a co-founder of We the People, an advocacy group for taxpayers, said she wasn't in favor of the $3.28 million funding request. "I did let Ken Flatto know we are not in favor of any spending that is not necessary," Daniello said, adding that it was probably necessary to rehabilitate the existing center and westerly sections, but not at the price the building committee was seeking.

If the Board of Finance approves the $3.28 million funding request on Sept. 7, it heads for a final vote at the Representative Town Meeting at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Education Center, 501 Kings Highway East.

The finance board's Sept. 7 meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Education Center.