Newtown memorial site rejected by open space advocates

With sweeping views of rolling hills, a field at Newtown's highest point emerged early on as the first choice for planners of a permanent memorial to honor the 26 people killed at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The 12-member commission, assembled in October 2013, is tasked with choosing a design and location for the memorial honoring the 20 children and six educators gunned down inside the school on Dec. 14, 2012.

Critics argued that building a memorial could take away from the beauty of the area, which includes popular walking trails, and violate the town's pledge to maintain the field as open space.