Zoning officials in New Fairfield are reviewing a controversial school bus parking lot proposal for a third time, with a possible vote expected in March. The plan would build a dispatch office and parking for 26 buses, nine vans and staff vehicles at 302 Ball Pond Road, behind former school property razed in 2024. The proposal was twice denied since 2021 over environmental and neighborhood concerns, prompting a court appeal by town leaders. Engineers now say added evergreen buffers and revised traffic patterns — routing bus exits onto Gillotti Road — address noise and congestion issues. Town officials estimate the project will cost at least $1.8 million and call it the most practical of four options, citing location, infrastructure and long-term savings.
Ed Histed
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.