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To the Editor:

Recently, a reader called the purchase of the 58 acre UCONN property unfair because the public wasn’t involved. The writer, Mr. Madfis, hasn’t tried to understand that a lot of thought went into the decision.  As soon as the property was offered to the town there was communication from the residents. Fortunately, for the taxpayers and residents, West Hartford’s professional team started assembling data.  These people, under the direction of the Town Manager, studied the property and helped the town’s decision makers.

Leon Davidoff, the Deputy Mayor, is someone who does his homework.  His recommendation to offer UCONN a very reasonable price for the property took into account all the cleanup costs with the PCBs as well as other issues such as the removal of buildings.

The site sits in a very strategic location and saying that it needs to be fenced in to protect the public from vagrants using vacant buildings is ridiculous. Scaring people is something we don’t need in West Hartford. I laughed at the idea that the property would become a “harbinger of crime.”

If the Town purchases this property, the residents and the Council would determine, what would be the best plan for the Town and the people in surrounding neighborhoods.

Stuart Mahler
West Hartford, CT