Students Present Development Plans for United Water Property [Poll]

Since that includes a 70,500 sq. ft. supermarket, a 4300 sq. ft. bank and 221-unit multi-family housing complex with a 428-space multi-level parking garage and a pool on the 13-acres of land known as the United Water property, it seems as if the entire town is engaged in the conversation of what should go there. The children of the town are no exception.

social studies teacher, Peter Galasso, challenged his class to design and develop a plan for how they would utilize the 13 vacant acres based on the articles that they have been following in Patch--from the filing of the site plans to the progress of the zoning board of adjustment hearings. 

Of the 15 designs presented on Tuesday, the majority included these overriding themes: flood prevention, berms, a recreation center and a field of dreams. A recreation center was prevalent in most of the design plans, the recurring argument being that there is no safe place for the youth of New Milford to go and "hang out" in a "safe environment." 

All of the designs included an affordable housing component, although some were designed as apartment complexes while others were designed as townhouses. One presentation dedicated the housing units entirely to seniors as a way to alleviate any potential for further overcrowding of the school system. 

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The commercial component of the site plans differed, with some designs dedicated to independent shops and restaurants, while others included large chain stores and franchise restaurants such as Outback and KFC. One plan designed a mall on the 13-acre property, another had the "Fun In Inn," a hotel resort with a pool, movie theater, gym, bowling alley, football and soccer field designed to be a center of profit for the town of New Milford. 

Most of the plans included a new . However, one plan traded Shop Rite for a Walmart, and another traded Shop Rite for a Trader Joe's to "open horizons for different tastes" in New Milford. One design focused on the bank because "all the new money coming in from the commercial development has to be put somewhere." Many included underground parking garages not only to provide an alternative to above-ground parking, but to allow adequate space for the field of dreams.

There were plans that dedicated a substantial amount of property for open space to be used as a sanctuary for wildlife and as a permeable buffer between the buildings and the river where water from storms can be absorbed to alleviate potential flooding. 

Evident among all of the presentations was the amount of thought, creativity and collaboration that the students put into designing their site plans. Evident also was their mature grasp of the pertinent issues being discussed by the attorneys, zoning board members, experts and residents regarding the fate of the 13 acres of the United Water property and the stake that they have in its future.