Cancel Shelton Conservation Meeting WedAug6

[thomas harbinson]

Greetings.

There are no pressing items I am aware of requiring Conservation to meet, so I am cancelling our WedAug6 meeting.

The recent P&Z Applications of note are re-developments (turning long-stay hotels into apartments, two homes near the ice-cream shop downtown into an office building, etc).  I have seen no new subdivision applications.

Some updates though.

The moonscape on Long Hill Crossroads by Crown Point / Botti without permits - I believe the cease and desist order is still in place.  The Mayor put an 8-24 request in front of the P&Z to approve buying the State of CT DOT right-of-way (municipality has a right of last refusal for State of CT right-of-ways), and the P&Z approved buying the strip at the same meeting in which they approved the Developer's PDD Initial Site Development Plans which utilized the strip.  The P&Z approved purchasing the strip without a single comment as to why it would be appropriate from a planning perspective.  The Board of Alderman had not formally requested the Ct.Gen.Statute 8-24 referral from the P&Z (the Mayor did), but after the P&Z gave their approval, the BoA then authorized the Mayor to move forward with the purchase.  Subsequently, there has been no developer activity there, with all equipment having been removed. 

One item that came across my radar screen is the former Cheesborough Ponds site on Far Mill Crossing (Shelton's PDD#1) which is owned by an LLC entity of Health Net, and records show Sikorsky as a tenant of some sort.  The mortgage owners have foreclosed on the property.  It is interesting to read the financial filings on vol/pg land records at City Clerk's office as it was one of those Collateralized Debt Obligations (watch the movie The Big Short) that apparently hasn't been paid on.  Anyway, for Conservation thinking caps - it is a 68ac parcel abutting the Far Mill River that has vastly undeveloped land acreage.  It is not the office building to the east of Rte8 that you can see from the highway, but rather next to that.  It also abuts to its North the former Wells family's farm property we visited last year which the City purchased and Laura Wells gave us a tour of.

The P&Z did approve the zone change and the development off of Constitution Blvd by Prestige Builders (AJGrasso), and that came with some Open Space dedications.  The entire application was a concern to the neighbors, but the applicant prevailed.  Given the occasional lack of follow thru by the P&Z office for open space dedications being filed/deeded to the City, we should monitor that the land transfer takes place.

The MAS property is progressing again with construction of the Constitution Blvd roadway, but there has not been a formal application to P&Z by the City with the lot-lines or subdivision of the property into saleable lots.  Conceptual drawings did show some Open Space, but nothing formal has been filed.

Teresa and I have been talking about some Open Space violations by private property owners.  Some are very disappointing, but once there is more fuller documentation, we can discuss among the Commission those that require more than what Teresa has been doing administratively over the years.

Teresa was asked by the Mayor's office to assist in finding people to hay/cut the Klapik Open Space fields (this is over by Long Hill Ave).  Nate Wells had been licensed for those parcels, but he passed away earlier this year and the Mayor hadn't pursued getting a replacement until now.  Some of the fields Nate hadn't bothered haying for several years and the invasive russian olive and other plants have created a need to brush-hog them into an acceptable state for becoming a hayfield again.  In talking to other farmers, a year-to-year revocable license is not attractive and a minimum 10-15yr lease is what is typically sought given the need to invest into the quality of the soil and now removal of brush.  In any regard, I understand that the Bures Brothers are now doing it (they did the Tall Farm across the street from the Klapik).

On a personal note - I'm running for Board of Alderman.  Win or lose, I hope to continue serving on the Conservation Commission.  An Alderman can serve in an elected and an appointed position at the same time.  From an earlier education, it is different for anyone elected to the Planning & Zoning Commission, as they can not serve in any other elected or appointed position in the City.

In regard to filling the vacancies on the Conservation Commission, the Mayor continues to take no action.  I don't understand why.   The Board of Alderman also continue to refuse filling the positions as allowed to when the Mayor does not take any actions.

I hope everyone has been having a good summer.  Looking forward to Sep3 as our next meeting.

Tom Harbinson

Tel: 203SirTomH