Malloy: ‘We Won't Make the Same Mistakes in Southbury’

No one knows what’s in store for the future of the Southbury Training School, but what we do know is that before the state looks forward, they’re taking a long hard look back.

For a brief moment at a bill singing ceremony in Southbury last week, Governor Dannel P. Malloy broke from his prepared comments to speak in what he called ‘personal terms’ about the failures of the state to properly handle the transfer of state-used land back to communities.

Whether it was schools, prisons, brown fields or other intuitions, the Governor acknowledged that for years the state has presented burdens to many towns in Connecticut and that he refuses to let this be the case with the Southbury Training School.

“Quite frankly I don’t think the state did a good job,” said Malloy. “I have pledged to make sure that we don’t repeat the mistakes that were made in other communities here in Southbury.”

Earlier this year Malloy formed a special state-local task force to develop a comprehensive plan on the future use of the training school campus, and how to maintain the buildings and grounds as it continues to be the home for residents. The Governor said he anticipates that the task force will present the state with the best recommendations on how they can approach the next steps for the property.

“I truly believe that this planning process, and its anticipated report on January 30, is an important move forward,” said Malloy.

Malloy said he is attempting to undo some of the damage that the state has done in other towns and that the state will learn from its adverse decisions in the past. 

“I can assure all of the residents of this community that I will do everything in my power to make sure that the state of Connecticut does a better job by you than it has done by other communities in the past,” he said.