American School for the Deaf Alumni Protest Construction, Proposed Land Sale

American School for the Deaf alumni spent much of the day Monday walking back and forth in front of the school's North Main St. campus, expressing their disdain for the construction project in the background as well as the school's plans to sell land to a Farmington developer of luxury homes and also sell two other buildings.

At times there were about 40 alumni in the group, holding signs with messages such as "We Preserve ASD," and waving to passing traffic. The alumni, who spoke to the media through two "impartial translators," Andre Simons and Rena Hobbs,  said that neighborhood residents had also joined the protest at times.

The alumni gathered for the protest because they claim that they were not adequately informed about the plans to demolish the iconic Gallaudet Hall, or about plans to sell nine acres of the campus to Sard Custom Homes for more than $1 million.

"No one knew, they hid it," said Mary Ann Romano, claiming that ASD did not send letters to alumni, many of whom are scattered throughout the country.

Romano expressed her concern about the buildings as well as the land, and the historical significance they have to the students. "All of our history is in those places. Where would our history be if those places are gone?" she said.

Another graduate questioned ASD's need for a new building, and asked why Gallaudet Hall, which was built in 1921 and has been the centerpiece of the nearly 200-year-old school for more than three generations, could not be repurposed.

In a letter sent to Patch, neighborhood residents Eric Geigle and Tamika Brierley also expressed concern about some of ASD's actions. Although they said they were made aware of ASD's plans for the new building and demolition of Gallaudet Hall in June 2011, Geigle and Brierley claim the plan to sell land, which they say will likely become a development of luxury homes by Sard Custom Homes, was not disclosed until a May 22, 2013 community meeting.

At the June 2011 meeting, the letter from Geigle and Brierley states, "We were assured that neighbors would be kept informed of progress and that ASD would work hard to minimize construction’s effects on the neighbors. Further, ASD made very clear promises that they did not have plans to sell or further develop any of their property."

Just last month, the letter states, was when neighbors "first learned that contrary to their previous assurances, ASD is now intending to sell these three plots of land."

Geigle and Brierley, who live at the corner of Rustic Lane and East Maxwell Drive, which backs up to the part of ASD's campus that is the focus of the planned sale, are concerned about the impact of additional residential development in the area on the "quality of life and character of our neighborhood as well as on the environment and wildlife in one of the few undeveloped areas in West Hartford."

"With the recent state bond approval for $4 million to demolish Gallaudet Hall, it is unclear why ASD needs to sell its land," states the letter from Geigle and Brierley. 

Basil Brockett, a 1960 ASD graduate who is now president of the Connecticut chapter of Deaf Seniors of America, said that if the land is to be developed, it should be something for the deaf community, not houses.

"If they want to build something there, build a senior center for deaf people," said Lewis Hobbs, a 1966 graduate and former captain of ASD's football and wrestling team, who attended the school beginning at age 4.

ASD's spokesperson, Director of Institutional Advancement Marilyn Rettig, said Monday afternoon that information about plans for the construction, demolition, and sale of the land "had been communicated with all of our constituencies" in 2011. Rettig said that ASD has "communicated as best as we can with all of our alumni."

In a prepared statement, Rettig said that ASD it is "fortunate to have a group of alumni so committed to ASD. The spirit that moved our founders nearly 200 years ago lives in our alums, dedicated staff and the remarkable children we serve."

"The decision to move forward with the building was thoughtful and considered, and involved representatives from all of our constituencies including alumni, staff, Board, students, parents, donors and neighbors. Early in the process, we developed a plan to ensure all of these groups received information as this project went forward," Rettig said in the statement.

The plan developed and shared in 2011, Rettig's statement reads, "included the sale of certain parcels of land and buildings in order to right-size the campus and to remain financially stable. In addition to communicating through our publications and website, meetings were held in order that questions and concerns could be addressed."

"We are proceeding with the sale of undeveloped land at the rear of campus and continue to market two buildings," Rettig said in the statement. "We are looking forward with pride and anticipation to the opening of our new building at the start of the school year in September, and with its opening, will continue the longstanding tradition of leading the way in deaf education."

The design of the state-of-the-art building will be able to "meet the unique learning styles of deaf and hard of hearing children. This effort will ensure that ASD provides students with a cutting edge education and will keep ASD strong and viable into the future."

A demonstration by alumni is also planned for Tuesday, June 11, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information about the alumni effort, contact Tom Garro at agarro11@aol.com.