PUBLIC OPINION

Q1: Do you know how many people are associated with Y Downtown? And, if so, what percentage, roughly, live in proximity to Mahackeno?

A1: Y Downtown includes members from all corners of Westport, as well as from surrounding towns. But it is more than just an organization: Y Downtown represents a philosophy that is rooted in arriving at the best solution for the Y's relocation, a solution that will benefit all of Westport and bordering communities. While some have tried to paint the Y issue as "NIMBY," nothing could be further from the truth. People like Don Bergmann, Roy Dickinson and Sidney Kramer don't live anywhere near Mahackeno, yet they have taken the time and effort to clearly make their feelings known.

Increasingly, people from all across Westport are realizing that locating the YMCA in the northwest corner of town will disrupt traffic patterns and make it difficult for them to reach the facility, or wherever else they may be going. Just last week, I spoke to a gentleman who lives near Longshore, a longtime Y member. He was upset that the Y had never asked his opinion about the move, and also that there was no mechanism for him to voice his objections to the Y board. He is one of many who see the value of keeping the Y in a central and accessible downtown location.

Q2. Do you think the controversy over the Mahackeno Y is of major interest to many people who don't live near Mahackeno?

A2: A survey conducted by an independent market research firm last April found that 72 percent of Westporters with a preference supported a site other than Mahackeno for a new Y. That says to me that a good portion of the town is interested, especially since only about 10 to 15 percent of Westport residents live in the general Camp Mahackeno area. When I see Y Downtown signs in the Saugatuck Shores and Greens Farms neighborhoods, it confirms to me that residents of our town realize that something positive needs to be done to house the YMCA in a location that is central and accessible to all.

Q3. The Westport/Weston Family Y is a private organization. Assuming it can get the appropriate approvals, shouldn't it be allowed to do what it wants on its own land?

A3: There is an important distinction here, which often has been missing in reports about the Y's plans. Although the Y owns the land at Camp Mahackeno, the camp is located in a AAA residential zone. The Y is able to operate its camp there because the Planning & Zoning Commission granted it a special permit. Through the special permit process, the Commission can allow certain types of facilities, such as schools and religious institutions, to locate in residential zones, which otherwise would not be permitted. Special permit applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the project's impact on traffic, safety, neighborhood character and other factors.

So, the Y only has the right to apply to use its land in a certain way, but whether the intended use complies with the special permit or will be approved remains to be seen. A 100,000 square-foot, for all intents and purposes commercial fitness facility in a residential zone does not seem to be in keeping with the intention of the special permit. I believe it will not be granted and now is the time to help the Y find a better location.

Q4. How is the Y's special permit relevant to this controversy?

A4: As mentioned above, the special permit is one of many factors that our town boards will evaluate if and when the Y ultimately files an application. The special permit recognizes that the Y is a "guest" in a residential zone. In evaluating a special permit request, P&Z commissioners must consider the project's potential impact on traffic, public safety, lighting, noise, the environment, neighborhood character and appearance and more.

Q5. Ultimately, the decision on Mahackeno will fall to the various town boards and commissions that oversee such things. Shouldn't you be lobbying those bodies instead of attempting to try the issue in the court of public opinion?

A5: Y Downtown is a townwide grassroots organization dedicated to educating the community about the issues surrounding the Y's proposed move, with a goal of keeping the Y in a central and accessible location. We are not a lobbying organization, but we do believe that offering information not otherwise available on this issue is of great value to Westport and its citizens. We also believe that getting out in front of issues serves everyone. Often, by the time our town boards are facing an issue, they are in a mode to get things done related to the parameters of the specific application. They are not, at those times, tasked with taking a more global overview of what is possible. The time to reevaluate the YMCA's plans is now.

It's also important to note that the Y is a community organization, and its location affects everybody in Westport. While Y users have the most at stake in its location, the Y also contributes significantly to the vitality of downtown Westport. If the Y leaves downtown, it will significantly change the character of the area, plus new infrastructure will be required to support its new location. Because the Y's location affects all residents, it is an issue that deserves community discussion as part of our broader planning for the future of Westport's downtown.

Q6. No matter where the Y relocates, it is likely that neighbors will be upset. Baron's South is frequently mentioned as a site for the new Y but the town was sued by a neighbor over the new Senior Activities Center. If you defeat the Y's Mahackeno plans, aren't you just putting the problem in someone else's lap?

A6: Although some have tried to paint this as a "NIMBY" issue, we actually see it as a "NOABY" issue: Not in Anyone's Backyard. A facility such as what the Y is planning, which will draw up to 1,000 people a day, be open from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and be housed in a 100,000 square foot, Wal-Mart sized building, does not belong in any residential area. The traffic, intensity of use and size would easily overburden any neighborhood.

Our current state and town plans all say that core facilities should be centrally located to avoid "sprawl" and prevent traffic from occurring on roads not designed to handle it. These include Westport's 2001 Downtown Plan (which recommends that the Y be located on the Imperial lot), the Westport Town Plan of Conservation and Development, the 2005 Connecticut State Plan of Conservation and Development and the Connecticut Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Smart Growth and Sprawl. Specific to Baron's South, the property is in a largely commercial zone, surrounded by office buildings and retail outlets. Other sites that have been proposed, such as the Imperial parking lot, Baldwin lot and police station, also are in commercial zones with major roads and businesses located nearby. The State Plan categorizes the area around Mahackeno as a rural, residential area.

Q7. The Y tried once before to work out a deal for a part of Baron's South but was rebuffed. Can you really blame them for going in another direction?

A7: We can learn from what happened in 1999, but completely shutting down a viable option does not seem like an intelligent way to approach planning, especially when there is widespread support for that option from residents, Y members and town officials. Moreover, current thinking about town planning has evolved since 1999. Westporters, along with town and state officials, have seen the effects of overdevelopment and sprawl, and are more attuned to "smart growth," or keeping development in line with what our infrastructure is able to handle. Often, to reach a satisfactory conclusion, compromises need to be made on both ends; in this case, perhaps both the town and the Y can take a second look at a potentially positive solution.

Q8. Tell us why you think a Mahackeno Y is such a bad idea that it has to be stopped?

A8: Former YMCA CEO Dick Foot said it well himself in a 1996 newspaper article. When asked about Mahackeno as a possible site for a new YMCA, he said, "That site isn't ideal because of its proximity to residential areas, limited access and environmental issues."

Adding to that, I could fill your whole paper with reasons - first and foremost, increased traffic congestion on already clogged roads such as Route 33 and the Merritt Parkway, particularly during peak commute hours, which coincide with the Y's highest usage periods. Second, public safety: Will emergency vehicles be blocked by impassible traffic on Route 33? Third, traffic would divert to side streets and create new traffic problems in residential areas.

In addition, the proposed location is not easily accessible from the Green's Farms or Compo Beach areas, or via public transportation. Local merchants also would suffer from a loss of Y-related foot traffic and driving proximity for business. Ironically, the Y repeatedly has said that one benefit of the Mahackeno site is that it already owns the land, and does not need to purchase land to build there. But, the Y has spent more than $1.5 million buying homes on residential Sunny Lane, which it plans to pave over and turn into a parking lot. One of the Sunny Lane neighbors reached out to the Y to buy his property because he was terrified that his house would plummet in value and the neighborhood would be unlivable if the Y were to build there. Even if the Y's approach to its Sunny Lane neighbors is legally allowable, it raises moral and ethical questions.

Finally, as Mr. Foot said, there also are real environmental concerns, as the site is traversed by the Poplar Plains Brook and borders on the Saugatuck River. The loss of Camp Mahackeno as we know it today, trees cut down, homes purchased by the Y on a residential street to be paved over for a parking lot, noise pollution, car pollution, waste water and plain old waste, the list goes on and on.

Q9. Some people have said that having the Y move to Baron's South would preserve open space. This seems illogical because the town owns the open space remaining on Baron's South but does not own Mahackeno. Do you have an opinion on this apparent contradiction?

A9: Generations of Westport children have enjoyed the hills, rivers and trees of Camp Mahackeno's open space, and it is listed on the Town Register of Open Space as a parcel the town would consider acquiring. But most important, there are few 26-acre parcels of open space remaining in our town. Though it is privately owned, Camp Mahackeno's open space is an asset whose loss would be greatly felt by Westport, and once gone, could not be replaced.

To date, the open space on Baron's South has not been used for much recreational or passive activity and seems destined for development. By locating the Y at Baron's South or elsewhere, the town can optimize an underused asset while preserving the priceless acreage at Camp Mahackeno.

Q10. There are many different opinions about the where the new Y should be located: Baron's South, Winslow Park, where it is now with expanded grounds, on the Saugatuck near the Woman's Club, where the police station is located, etc. Is there any unanimity of opinion within Y Downtown about where the new Y should be located?

A10: Y Downtown members agree that the YMCA should remain in a central and accessible location. That doesn't mean it has to stay in its current home: We understand the Y may need to raise money by selling its building to fund its relocation plans. It does mean that the Y needs to be somewhere that people easily can reach, by car or by public transportation, using major roads, and that ideally has facilities surrounding it to service those people. While all the suggested sites have the advantage of a downtown location, we believe the choice of a specific site should be part of the overall planning process for downtown Westport.

What needs to be looked at more closely are the Y's "requirements" for its new facility. It is clear that the desire for a 50-meter pool, by a small minority, has driven many of the Y's decisions about location. Maybe the need for that type of pool should be rethought. We would hope that the Y would listen to the comments and input from town officials, Westport residents and Y members alike, and take their concerns into account when planning for its future location.

Q11. Why do you believe the Y should stay downtown?

A11: A downtown YMCA keeps people in the heart of the town, and traffic off of side streets not designed to handle it. This is good for the downtown merchants who benefit from Y-related foot traffic and close driving proximity, and good for town traffic flow by keeping people in a central area and on main roads. Moreover, a downtown location benefits parents, Y employees and staff and other Y users who appreciate the opportunity to visit shops and eateries, run errands or take care of other business while in the downtown area. It also maintains vitality in the town center, which has come up repeatedly as a concern.

Q12. Downtown Westport has its own traffic and parking problems that might be alleviated somewhat by the Y moving elsewhere. Does Y Downtown support initiatives to improve the situation downtown, such as the Westport Downtown Merchant Association's proposal to put another layer of parking on the Baldwin Parking Lot?

A12: We do appreciate and support the Westport Downtown Merchants Association's recent call to keep the YMCA in a central and accessible downtown location. The merchants recognize the importance of the foot traffic generated by the 1,000 or so people who use the YMCA every day. It is common for parents to run errands or shop while their children are at the Y, and for people to visit local establishments following Y programs.

Our mission is to keep the Y in a central and accessible location, and as such we have not taken a position on specific proposals outside of that issue. We would say that moving the traffic, which the Y admits it brings, from downtown to a residential section of town is not good planning.

Q13. Do you believe it should be up to the first selectman to dictate which part of town will have to accept a new Y?

A13: We are lucky to live in a democracy, in which citizens have a voice. That is exactly why this process seems skewed to many of us. The Y's future location is one of the most important planning decisions the town will make in the coming years, yet the Camp Mahackeno proposal is being pushed by a small number of Y board members, without the support of the Y membership or the town at large.

Our hope is that our next First Selectman will have the vision to work with the YMCA to find a solution that will most benefit the town, the Y and its members, not just for the next 5 years but for the next 50 years. We would like to see the First Selectman help usher the town and the Y through the process, without taking sides, but working toward the greater good. This is a decision that will not easily be undone, or rectified if decided incorrectly. A successful conclusion will balance the Y's desire to expand its facilities and programming with the town's needs to maintain downtown commerce, curb sprawl, keep traffic on streets designed to handle it and keep core facilities centrally and accessibly located.

For more information on these issues, and to access state and town planning documents, town regulations and more, visit www.YDowntown.com.