Selectmen Herb Rosenthal and Paul Mangiafico voted against the proposal. First Selectman Joseph Borst voted in favor, saying board members should listen to the Army's plans.

Three months ago at a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Selectmen Rosenthal and Mangiafico were surprised about what they believed was an invitation from Mr. Borst to the Army Corps of Engineers to build a training facility on Fairfield Hills property.

The Army would have to purchase the Fairfield Hills property in question.

The Secretary of Defense has recommended closing reserve centers in Fairfield, Danbury and Waterbury and relocating servicemen from these centers to a new reserve center in Newtown.

The Army is looking for 13 to 18 acres for buildings, parking and open space. It was hoped there would be enough land near the horse guard property, but there was not enough land at that site.

First Selectman Borst received a letter of inquiry last year about the property, to which Mr. Borst replied. He had a meeting with Gary Puryear, base transition coordinator with the 99th Regional Support Command, Devens, Mass., on October 30.

He questioned a matter of having sufficient land for such a facility near the Connecticut Horse Guard property, property in which the Army was interested.

Mr. Borst noted the use of East Meadow or High Meadow, prime town land, would be a "hard sell."

"The only town property that would meet the Army's requirements would be the property conveyed by the state to the town for commercial development and open space," Mr. Borst said.

That property has been designated by the town as the area for a technical park. Mr. Borst said the tech park is still on the drawing board.

The problem with the land at the tech park site, besides being designated for a specific purpose, is that the aquifer that provides about half of the town's drinking water is under the land.

In a letter received by Mr. Borst January 26, the Army formally requested the purchase of 13 acres of town-owned land.

Army officials said the project is not a military base, in the traditional sense, but rather a campus-like facility for the Army Reserve and Army National Guard citizen-soldiers to attend classroom sessions.

"The reserve soldiers are residents of local communities," the letter said, "who raise their families, operate businesses and work in jobs in Connecticut."

The letter said the center would bring $35-50 million in construction work to the community.

"Federal BRAC 2005 Law requires the Army to construct a new Armed forces Reserve Center in Newtown to support our local men and women in the Army Reserve and National Guard," said Col. Keith A. Landry, Corps of Engineers District Commander.

"Due to the statutory deadline to complete all BRAC projects no later than September 15, 2011, we face a very tight timeline to purchase land and to design and construct the Reserve Center," the colonel said.

The complex would have three buildings: training center, maintenance center and equipment storage. It would be used by 350-390 Army Reserve soldiers and about 200-220 National Guard soldiers.

Full-time staff would consist of 50 soldiers and civilians. Reservists would use the facility on two to three weekends a month, with the largest number of participants about 200.

Most training would be in the training building; there would be limited outdoor training.

"There will be 500 to 1,000 reservists training on weekends," Selectman Rosenthal said last Monday. "Most of them come, do their training and leave. They don't stay in town to shop or go to restaurants. There are no tax benefits associated with the Army coming to town.

"The letter from the Army states 'your timely response will enable us to proceed with the project to meet the statute or to cancel it and cancel related closures of other Army Reserve and National Guard facilities in Connecticut.'

"With the support of our senator and congressman, the town can respond forcefully to head this off."

Mr. Rosenthal added that the parcel in question is part of the Aquifer Protection Zone. Maintenance facilities are not allowed in Aquifer Protection Zones.

Mr. Rosenthal moved the following resolution: the Newtown Board of Selectmen respectfully, but strongly and categorically, reject the request from the Department of the Army to purchase town-owned land, most particularly 13 acres in the high meadow/east meadow to construct an Armed Forces Reserve Center.

Such a sale would violate planning and zoning regulations for this zone, Mr. Rosenthal said, which require a minimum lot size of 150 acres, thus prohibiting subdivision and sale.

Voters and town officials have made it very clear on numerous occasions that once purchased, the town would not sell any of this land.

The Master Plan of Redevelopment for the parcel that was approved by the Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning Commission and endorsed by the Legislative Council, considered the "high meadow" the most prime area of the parcel and land banked it for possible future school, municipal and other beneficial development and open space.

It is also used for passive recreation trails.

Additionally, the "high meadow" is one of the most scenic and valuable pieces of real estate in town and is visible from many locations in Newtown.

"Be it further resolved," Mr. Rosenthal added, "that the Selectmen instruct the First Selectman to immediately convey this response to the Army's undated letter from Colonel Keith Landry (received January 26, 2009) and attach a copy of this resolution."

Mr. Rosenthal concluded, "Be it also resolved that the Selectmen request the support of Sen. Dodd, Sen. Lieberman and Congressman Murphy and instruct the First Selectman to contact them to enlist their assistance and send them a copy of this resolution and all correspondence."

Mr. Rosenthal's resolution was seconded by Selectman Mangiafico.

Selectman Mangiafico said there is a miscommunication between the town of Newtown and the Department of Defense.

The letter from Colonel Landry states the high meadow site was an offered site, although, as discussed in public session, the site was never offered to the Army.

There was also an attachment to the letter that states, under community concerns, "there were no formal expressions from the community."

This is untrue; selectmen said in public discussions that they were not interested in the Army being at the Fairfield Hills campus and a letter was sent to the Army explaining that the town is not interested in having the Army at high meadow.

Selectman Mangiafico agreed with the resolution proposed by Selectman Rosenthal, saying First Selectman Borst needs to be explicitly clear in the answer to the Army.

First Selectman Borst told the board he would give them copies of the letter that is sent to the Army.