Dear Ridgefielders,
Sky Dome LLC would like to buy 4 buildings on 12 acres from the Town of Ridgefield. We plan to restore and reuse the buildings to house an art collection. A ’YES’ vote on Question 9 Nov. 4 will benefit both parties.
The buildings are part of the 45-acre Schlumberger-Doll Research Center. After the company relocated in 2006, the center sat vacant, deteriorating, and for sale until 2011 when Schlumberger suggested they would bulldoze it, including the Philip Johnson building and Howard Barnstone auditorium. We will save and reuse those buildings before they are lost.
The Town bought the center in 2012. We have worked with the Town since then to buy the buildings. Environmental issues, however, prevent a simple sale. Schlumberger must finish remediation of the site before the Town can transfer it without assuming responsibility for cleanup itself. So we have agreed to lease the buildings until the state certifies the site is clean. Once certified, we must buy the property at a price that was determined based on a Town selected, independent appraiser’s best use analysis. The terms include substantial obligations and limitations on future use.
JK and I have a home here and love Ridgefield. We support its sprit, character, and future. We worked hard with the Selectmen to reach an agreement protecting the Town’s interests. The key buildings will be saved, the Town will recover half the cost for a quarter of the Schlumberger site, and the Town’s tax rolls will benefit even before the sale. Most importantly, the Town is protected against unwanted future development.
Too many architecturally significant buildings are lost through inaction. The Johnson and Barnstone buildings will be saved and put to good use. Please vote ‘YES’ on Question 9.