Economic Development Committee Recommends Land Swap Near Lawrence School

Lawrence School is at the top.

The Economic Development Committee unanimously approved a proposal for the city to trade 4.7 acres
of city-owned school near Lawrence School for over 20 acres of nearby wetlands. The land swap expands the city's open space, and provides street frontage for a new development.

The recommendation now goes before the Common Council, which will consider it at its March 7th meeting.

The developer, Dominick DeMartino, proposes to build two 4-story multi-family buildings, with 76 units each. He told the EDC that the target market is young professionals, with most occupied by single or young married couples. He said it would be a perfect setting for work at home environment, for people who want to look up from their computer to see woods out the window. He said both buildings would be developed at the same time. 

DeMartino told the Commission that the nature of the buildings would be similar to those he had built in Wallingford.

DeMartino said they had done preliminary traffic studies and concluded that there would be no impact on school traffic. He said the traffic study concluded, "The development of this apartment complex will not affect traffic or safety of Lawrence School traffic. ... we do not anticipate any traffic problems whatsoever."

Wallingford buildings

The Director of Community and Economic Development, Joe Samolis said that the development would require a zoning change by the Planning and Zoning Commission, either by changing the zoning map so that this land would become residential instead of Industrial, or dropping a floating zone for multifamily onto this area.  

EDC Deals w/ Vacant Property, Proposed Sportsplex

The city might finally have a plan and purpose for a nuisance property on Portland Street.

The now-vacant lot at 20 Portland Street had been occupied by a derelict residential building which the city finally took possession of and demolished several months ago. Since then, they have been seeking a use for the property. At its monthly meeting on September 12th, the Economic Development Committee approved a proposal by Joseph Salamone of Peyton Properties, which owns #18 Portland Street next door. Under the proposal, the site would be split between a driveway for Salamone's tenants and a community garden maintained by the North End Action Team (NEAT).

NEAT's Executive Director, Izzi Greenberg noted "We would rather not own the property, we'd rather have the city own it with NEAT responsible for the liability and upkeep." If the city continues to own the property, it would grant easements to Peyton Properties and NEAT. The committee also discussed selling the lot to Peyton, which would then lease it to NEAT. The proposal was approved with the stipulation that the city attorney would determine the best method of having the parties share the lot.

Committee chairman Gerald Daley noted that the proposal solved two neighborhood problems: a lack of off-street parking and a lack of green space. Member Joe Bibisi said "There are a lot of kids down there, maybe 30 kids with no green grass. There's no place for them except the street."

Committee member David Bauer wondered if there might be another future use for the property, since the city has already incurred an estimated $140,000 dealing with the lot. Bauer was the lone dissenter in the vote on the proposal. "We're not so flush with cash that we can't think about what is best for the grand list", he said.

The committee also heard from two Rocky Hill men seeking help in renovating a former manufacturing building into an indoor athletics training facility.

Gary Sekorski and Glenn Rowland plan to lease the former Mohawk Manufacturing building at 1270 Newfield Street (next to NAPA Auto Parts) and convert it into the "Advanced Sportsplex Training Center". They've obtained a Small Business Administration loan, but less than they applied for. So, Sekorski said "We're standing here to say 'what can the city do to help a new business stay in business?'"

The two coaches-turned-businessmen said they would be investing $685,000 to convert the building shell, mostly with 'leaseholder improvements' such as lights, air-conditioning, and installing an artificial turf field.

The Sportsplex would offer young athletes and youth leagues instruction, training, and practice facilties. Rowland said the new business might provide as many as 30 full- and part-time jobs for instructors, referees, concession stand workers and others.

The committee unanimously approved a 3-year partial tax abatement for the complex, which Sekorski and Rowland hope to open by December 1st.

After meeting in executive session, the committee also unanimously approved a modified repayment schedule for The Inn At Middletown, extending the current schedule by two years.

Finally, the next meeting of the committee was rescheduled for Tuesday October 11th because of the Columbus Day holiday.

Maromas: Land of Opportunities, Part IV

This is the final installment of a 4-part series on city and state actions which have the potential to affect undeveloped land in Maromas owned by the Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH) and by the city. Part I covered the Mayor's action to stop the Department of Environmental Protection from owning conservation easements on the land which protects the CVH water supply. Part II covered a proposal by the city to supply water to CVH. Part III covered the Governor's directive to CVH (and all other state agencies) to identify properties which could be sold to generate revenue. Part IV will cover the city-owned open space land stretching from the shore of the Connecticut River to the other side of watershed land (Thanks to Barrie Robbins-Pianka for two of the photographs).


The state transferred five parcels of land from CVH to the City on June 21, 2005, with the restriction that it would remain open space or revert back to State ownership. This land conveyance has been portrayed by elected city and state officials as a "compensation" for the imposition of the Connecticut Juvenile Training School on other CVH land. The City is currently considering how to use this land, and has released a "Request for Proposals" (RFP) to develop it. The RFP suggested a variety of possible uses for the land, but emphasized "active recreation" possibilities.

The Land
All 5 parcels of land abut state-owned land that is either used for state facilities or for watershed protection. Parcels 1 and 2 wrap around Riverview Hospital, the State's only mental health facility for children and adolescents. Parcels 3, 4 and 5 abut the state land around 4 reservoirs which supply drinking water to CVH and Riverview.

• Parcel 1, between River Road and the Connecticut River, contains a mixed Larch and Pine forest, and includes a rail line which runs from Middletown to Pratt and Whitney (and further) along the river. There is a long-abandoned mine which provided lead for cannonballs early in the Revolutionary War (helping to defeat British Gen. John Burgoyne), and silver in the mid-1800s. Passing by the mine is a picturesque small stream which empties into a small sand delta in the Connecticut.
• Parcel 2, wrapping from River Road all the way to Bow Lane, contains open fields and a swath of secondary tree growth. Duck Hill (elevation 221ft) is in the center of this parcel, and contains Native American Holly and Black Cherry trees. Millane's nurseries leases part of this land to grow trees and bushes.
  
• Parcel 3 goes from Bow Lane to the top of Indian Hill (elevation 335ft), at Reservoir Road. There is an extensive stand of 20-50 year old cedars with moss and fern glades, and high bush blueberries in the understory.
• Parcel 4 is the smallest of the parcels, and is composed primarily of fields along Reservoir Road and Cedar Lane.
• Parcel 5 has a remarkable mature forest of Tulip Trees, Big-Toothed Aspens, and Chestnut Oaks, with an understory of Mountain Laurel, Ironwood, and Striped Maple Trees. Along the eastern border of the property is a breathtakingly beautiful stream which in places flows through a deeply cut ravine. Just before the stream approaches Brooks Road, the stream flows for about a hundred yards in a man-made channel made of cut stone, flowing in places as waterfalls over steps of hand-cut granite. This masonry may have been the handiwork of patients committed to CVH. In addition to the mature forest, there are two large hay-fields in parcel 5.

The Legislation and the Deed restriction
Residents in and around Maromas have long sought to reduce the number of state instututions in the area, or at least to prevent the imposition of new ones. There have been various attempts to wrest control of the CVH land from the State, including a 1995 bill (HB6537) to transfer over 800 acres from CVH to Middletown, which was introduced by Reps. Joe Serra and Susan Bysiewicz, and Sens. Tom Gaffey and Billy Ciotto (their bill did not make it out of committee).

In the late 1990s, activist groups such as Residents Against Institutional Dumping (RAID) unsuccessfully tried to stop the relocation of the Juvenile prison from Long Lane to CVH land. One of the outcomes of the decision to site the CT Juvenile School on CVH land was apparently a commitment by the state to compensate Middletown for the prison by giving the City other parcels of CVH land.

In the 2005 session, the legislature finally approved the transfer of CVH land to Middletown, in bill HB6909 (AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PARCELS OF STATE LAND). Representative Serra, who played a critical role in this, told me that his goal was to remove as much land as possible out of state control, "The more you take out of state hands, the better the city is."

When the State gives land to a municipality, there are usually restrictions on the use of that land (for example some parcels might be required to be used for a municipal building). In this case, HB6909 stated that the land was to be used for "agriculture, parks, natural areas, forests, camping, fishing, wetlands preservation, wildlife habitat, swimming, hiking, other active recreational, educational, and other purposes that further state and municipal policies."

Serra is proud that his efforts went further than just securing the land for the City. He said that when the legislation was being written, he made sure that "Active Recreation" was one of the allowed uses for the land: "I always thought a golf course would be great [on the former CVH land]."

Buzzy Levin and his Dream of Middletown Golf
Efforts to build a municipal golf course in the city go back many years, probably to at least 1940, when the Highland Country Club on Atkins Street closed. The 1965 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) said, "One city-wide facility which is now lacking in Middletown is a golf course." The 2000 POCD agreed, "The city also needs ... a golf course to bring its recreational facilities up to SCORP [Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan] standards."

One of the most ardent proponents of a municipal golf course in the 1960s and 1970s was Jerome "Buzzy" Levin, owner of Malloves Jewelers on Main Street. Levin was a member of the Common Council from 1963 to 1971, and worked tirelessly first to get authorization and then funding for a course on Newfield Street, and later to get authorization for a course on what was then state-owned land in Maromas. In an article about the Maromas golf course proposal, The Hartford Courant described Levin as "the moving force behind the plans for a golf course."

Levin spoke with me at length about his time on the Common Council and as chair of the Park Board, and his efforts on behalf of a golf course. He reminisced fondly of his early days on the Council, when many of the meetings to discuss city business would take place at the kitchen table in his house, before the enforcement of the right-to-know laws made that impossible, "The first 5 years on Common Council were the most enjoyable." He also said that during this time there was virtually no partisanship, and he worked closely with both Democrats and Republicans.

In the 1967 session of the State Legislature, Levin and Mayor Kenneth Dooley lobbied state officials for the city to be allowed to build a golf course on the CVH land. The Hartford Courant of April 22, 1967, reported:

The Committee on Humane and Welfare Institutions hears the local bill Tuesday morning in Hartford. It will have strong support from city officials and golfing enthusiasts. The proposed golf course would cost an estimated $300,000 if the land were secured.

Levin brought a petition with 1200 signers supporting the golf course, and endorsements from the town committees of both parties, labor unions, the Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of civic groups. The State Board of Mental Health was initially opposed to a proposal for Middletown to purchase the land from CVH, but did not directly oppose an agreement to lease the land. The efforts of Levin and Dooley were successful, and HB 4720 (Authorizing Middletown to enter into lease agreement with trustees of Connecticut Valley Hospital for use of state land for municipal golf course) was passed on May 16, 1967. The total land under consideration was 175 acres.

Levin told me that he was working with the same team that built the Tunxis Plantation golf courses in Farmington, the Tomasso Companies. He lauded their work, saying they were wonderful partners to work with. For the state land in Maromas, the noted local golf course architect Albert Zikorus laid out a 6607 yard, par 72 course (the accompanying photo is Zikorus' plan). The Courant reported that the city would probably apply for Federal open space funds to pay for the construction of the course.

In July of 1967, Levin told the Courant that a target date for opening of the course would be July 4th, 1969. However, Levin's dream of a course on CVH land did not survive another summer. The Board of Mental Health decided in April of 1968 to reject the city's proposal for a golf course, according to The Courant, they "favored the saving of hospital land for future hospital or related mental health needs rather than for golf course use." CVH had also been authorized to give some of its land to the new Middlesex Community College for a campus, when CVH did so, it removed a key piece of land from Levin's proposed golf course.

[Levin told me in great detail, and with pride and regret about the other golf course project that he pushed, in Newfield Meadows. He said that he arranged for the city to purchase 278 acres for $250,000 in about 1963, using Federal and State open space funds. The land was mostly wetlands, but Levin told me a golf course is a permitted use, "When you build a golf course, you increase the beauty of the streams." Some of the city land was used to build Woodrow Wilson Middle School in the 1960s (and Middletown High School this decade). The golf course bond referendum narrowly lost in 1964, "37 votes! That's all we lost by."]

Levin now lives most of the year in Florida, returning to work at Malloves only in the summer and the holiday season, and he said he has no involvement at all in city politics, "The only time I've been to City Hall recently is to pay my taxes." However, he has not lost his passion for the cause he championed for so long, "It's a shame that the City of Middletown doesn't have a golf course."

A Golf Course in 2009?
The pace of golf course construction nationwide has slowed considerably since the 1960s and 1970s. Most of this cannot be attributed to the economic difficulties of the past couple of years--the number of rounds of golf played in the U.S. has consistently fallen since 2000. Joe Perillo, of the Connecticut State Golf Association, told The Eye, "Building a golf course is not a profitable thing right now." Mike Colandro, a PGA tour professional who lives in Cromwell, said that to make it feasible, it needed to be a year-round facility, with indoor practice facilities, "That could be beautiful if done right... It's definitely something that should happen."

Mike Milano, who owns Quarry Ridge Golf Course in Portland, said it would be extremely difficult for anybody to build a new golf course. He had heard that "city hall and the state rep were interested in building a golf course up there," and that there had been a proposal a few years ago. However, Milano said that golf courses are overbuilt right now, and the ownership of the land by the city would be problematic for any developer. He also told me that the Chamber of Commerce is dead set against any municipal golf course because it would be at a competitive advantage over private courses, since it would not pay property tax, "The Chamber and all the other golf courses would fight this to the tooth." Larry McHugh, president of the Chamber of Commerce, did not return my phone calls about the city-owned land.

A Request for Proposals
The RFP issued last month suggests many possible uses which would be appropriate for the city-owned land, including baseball and soccer fields, dog parks, golf courses, playgrounds, and boat ramps. Any proposals are to include extensive financial information, including a business plan and a demonstration of financial capacity. The RFP "is designed for income generating uses which can develop the land," according to City Planner Bill Warner, although he said that other proposals would also be considered.

Warner told me that the RFP was not targeted towards a specific proposed use such as a golf course, but rather, "I thought this was an opportune time to see what interest there is." Deputy Director of Planning Michiel Wackers said the RFP was advertised in the New England Real Estate Journal, the Hartford Courant, and a CT Park & Recreation listserv. Wackers told the Hartford Courant (July 22) that proposed ideas include the creation of a playground, a golf course, agricultural use and continued use by a local airplane club. The agricultural use is likely to be a proposal from Millane Nurseries to continue their lease of land for growing trees.

When I spoke to Mayor Giuliano about the State-owned reservoir land, he mentioned only one of those possible uses, "We're looking at a golf course in that end of town." He confirmed that the city would be receiving a golf course proposal in response to the RFP. During my conversation with Rep. Serra about the conservation easement, he too brought up the RFP, referring to it as an "RFP for a nine-hole golf course." Serra pointed out that when a golf course is built, the value of neighboring properties rises. Neither man could tell me which company might be putting in a proposal, but Giuliano indicated it was not from a group known for building courses in the area.

Councilmen Gerry Daley and David Bauer both serve on the Economic Development Commission, which will be evaluating the proposals. About a golf course, Daley said to me, "Personally I think it would be a challenge to build a course up there... [but] I'm not opposed to a golf course if it's done in an environmentally responsible way." However, both Daley and Bauer said they did not have any preconceptions about what should be done with the land, and both spoke of not only the financial value of using the land, but also the non-financial values.

Bauer was cautious about developing the land, saying that the benchmark for any development should be quite high. He noted, "This is some of the best farmland around." He said he would put a very high value on doing nothing, because "when we do nothing, the potential is for the future." Daley on the other hand, was a proponent of developing the land, "I don't think the best use is to leave it totally undeveloped. You need to find ways to get people to use the land."

Decisions made and decisions to come
Middletown and the State together own an enormous, uninterrupted tract of land that stretches from the banks of the Connecticut River for over two miles. The land abuts Middlesex Community College, CVH, and large tracts of land owned by Connecticut Light and Power; it is in close proximity to lots owned by the Kleen Energy Power Plant and by Pratt and Whitney. This land is valuable by almost any measure: it is a very short distance from downtown, is easily accessible from Route 9, it contains what the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers to be "Prime Farmland", and it has spectacular old forests, ravines with waterfalls, pristine watershed and reservoirs, and beautiful vistas.

The last two fiscal years have been challenging for both Middletown and the State. In Middletown, the Common Council has used sales of city assets to balance the budget each of those years (Remington Rand last year, and Cucia Park this year). It would not surprise me if the Council evaluated proposals for use of the city land primarily on the basis of their ability to maximize city revenue. In Hartford, the state's budget woes are even worse than Middletown's, and both political parties support the sale of state assets to balance the budget. With these pressures, it would not surprise me to see a proposal that the state offer to sell some of its Middletown land holdings.

I have been struck by the way that apparently small decisions by elected officials can have dramatic effects on the value of these city and state lands. These decisions, even when they relate to public legislation, are not always obvious at the time. For example, Rep. Joe Serra's 2005 insertion of the phrase "Active Recreation" into the deed restriction for the city land vastly increased the possible uses to which the land could be put, and led directly to the form which the RFP has taken. As another example, a few interested residents worked with Rep. Gail Hamm to generate conservation protection on the state lands, but even the elected officials of the City were not kept fully informed.

Other important decisions are made administratively, usually with the consultation of elected officials, but also not necessarily noticed by the public. An example of this would be the proposal by the Director of Water and Sewer to sell city water to CVH, so that the State would no longer need to manage its own water supply. Another example, possibly forthcoming, will be the decision by the senior management of CVH about what assets CVH might consider selling. Finally, city administrators can influence decisions by the manner in which they solicit proposals and the manner by which they present them to elected officials.

The other thing that has struck me as odd is the way that some ideas seem to persist for decades, even if virtually everybody first involved in them has moved on. 40 years after Buzzy Levin gave up on a Maromas golf course, the opening of the CJTS gave Middletown the possibility of finally acquiring most of the land that he wanted for it. When the City got the land, the Planning Department's RFP was for developing the land in any sort of manner consistent with the deed. But somehow, despite all the intervening decades, the thoughts of two of the most important elected officials (Serra and Giuliano) turn to an idea that was championed by Buzzy Levin, who last held public office over 30 years ago.

The next decisions on the city lands will be at the August meeting of the Economic Development Committee, when it evaluates the proposals which the Planning Department receives.

The state land is subject to largely administrative decisions, at least in the short term. The first one will be whether any CVH land is listed as a "salable asset."

Property search for Midfield land

Friday's commentary and comments on the grassy area at the corner of College and Broad Street raised questions about who owns the land. One of the questions had a conspiratorial mysteriousness to it, piquing my curiosity. Fortunately all records of every parcel of land in Middletown, going back centuries, are publicly available: every sale, lien, and deed restriction is free for anybody to see at City Hall.

Determining the current owner of any parcel, as well as its assessed value, is even easier. The Planning Department has a GIS Property Search function on its web site, making it very easy to identify ownership of any parcel from a map view of Middletown.

The grassy area actually spans two lots, both owned by Midfield Corporation, one containing the big office building, and a second smaller lot on the corner. That smaller lot, 138 College Street, was the subject of discussion at the most recent Economic Development Committee meeting. The EDC voted to take the first step towards legally forcing Midfield to develop that land, which was part of an agreement between Midfield and the City.

Below is a screenshot of one of the views available through the City's GIS Property search. The Midfield owned parcel in question is in yellow (138 College Street), Midfield also owns the two large lots spanning from College to Court. According to the Property Record Card, Midfield bought 138 Court Street in 1991, it is valued at $136,500 and assessed at $95,550.

It remains possible that there are secret agreements, or even deed restrictions (available at City Hall), that could restore a sense of mystery and conspiracy to this property. But the legal ownership seems pretty clear.

City to sell Cucia Park for $2M

The Economic Development Committee had a very busy meeting this week.  Most EDC meetings are on Monday, but this month they met on Tuesday, unfortunately, it was at the same time that the Eye's beat reporters were participating in and covering the Board of Education and the Sonnet Slam.  Fortunately, at the Strawberry Festival on Thursday afternoon, I had a chance to catch up with two members of the EDC, Councilmen David Bauer and Bob Santangelo.  What follows is based on our conversations, and on the draft minutes available at the Planning Department's web site.  

Cucia Park Sale

The Army offered the city $2M for Cucia Park, as reported earlier in The Eye.  This was considerably less than the $3.4M that many in City Hall expected to get from the sale of this city park, and thus the city hired its own appraiser as the first step towards negotiating a higher price with the army.  At the EDC meeting, the members went into executive session to discuss the results of this appraisal.  After coming out of executive session, the EDC voted to recommend that Mayor Giuliano sign the option to sell Cucia Park for $2M.  

(The Common Council voted in April to use $1.5M of the money from selling Cucia Park to fund operating expenses.  None of the Cucia Park money has been set aside to replace the open space that the city will sell, as the Council stated would happen, in Resolution 10-12 last October.)

City-owned Maromas Land

The Bow Lane property given by the state to the city was the subject of a discussion over how the city could develop it for passive or active recreation.  This is the same property on which the city granted an easement to Buckeye Pipeline, and where brownstone use led to a query at a previous EDC meeting.  The Buckeye project is expected to clear much of the area, and Director of Planning Bill Warner raised the possibility of issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for developing active and passive recreation uses for the land.  The EDC voted to issue such an RFP, which Warner said would likely yield results in time for the August 10 meeting of EDC. 

Midfield Property on Broad Street

 The EDC voted to authorize attorney Corey to prepare a budget for pre-litigation and litigation over the development of a parcel of land on Broad Street, owned by the Midfield Corporation.

 Midfield owns the Charter Oak Building, and as part of its agreement with the city, apparently promised to develop the lot at the corner of College and Broad.  The EDC has now

 taken the first steps necessary for the City to sue Midfield to honor that commitment.

Lady Katharine Cruises

The EDC voted to require the Lady Katharine Cruise company to construct pilings at Harbor Park, as part of its lease with the city for dock space.  These pilings would be designed to better protect the city-owned dock from damage by large boats.  Bauer told me that the Lady Katharine's lease also provides for two free cruises for Middletown seniors.  

City Lobbyists

The EDC voted to continue paying the lobbying firm of Panuzio and Giordano a monthly fee ($2000/month) for lobbying in Washington.  The lobbyist has been working to steer the flow of stimulus package dollars to our city.  

Daley Authors EDC letter to Mayor Over Brownstone

This is the letter Economic Development Committee Chair Gerry Daley has sent to Mayor Sebastian Giuliano over allegations that the mayor allowed Republican Planning and Zoning commission member Ron Borrelli to take city-owned brownstone.

Mayor Giuliano:

As you are aware, at last night’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting, questions were raised concerning your apparent action in giving City property (i.e. a brownstone wall) to an individual without following the provisions of §78-9 of the Middletown Code of Ordinances that require disposition of City property in the open market. Your action may actually violate other City ordinances or State laws since the brownstone that you gave away had value.

Documentation concerning this matter is attached.

I am troubled by your dismissive remarks in today’s Middletown Press, “You want my comment? They need to get a life.” The beneficiary of your actions, Mr. Borrelli, goes on to justify your actions by saying he knows of other City property that has been given away. Please be reminded that it is your responsibility, and your pledge in your oath of office, to uphold City ordinances. Mr. Borrelli acknowledges that he sought the brownstone wall because, “I’m fixing a problem at a rental property.” This comment indicates that he realized a personal financial gain from your actions.

I am writing because members of the EDC asked that I request an explanation from you about the process that you followed for disposing of the brownstone wall and how you reconcile your actions with the provisions of the Middletown Code of Ordinances and Connecticut General Statutes. Please provide such an explanation, or demonstrate how you will remedy your error by ensuring that the City receives fair market value for the property you gave away.

Very truly yours,

Gerald E. Daley

Chair, Economic Development Committee

Common Council

Who's shoveling, and where?

Commentary 

In Connecticut, $1.65 billion will be spent on direct aid and grants from Stimulus Package dollars (an additional $1.3 billion of these dollars will be spent in our state on Medicaid assistance).  If the $1.65 billion were evenly divided according to population (and none is taken by State administrators), Middletown would receive about $25,000,000.  This amount of money has the power to significantly change the quality of life in Middletown.  And as has been pointed out in Pinch's critique of previous urban renewal attempts in our City, there is the potential to do great harm or great good to our City.  I agree with Pinch that we will suffer greatly if enough thought is not put into the identification and selection of projects to be funded.  

The process for selecting projects has been far from transparent.  

As reported earlier today, there are a total of 15 projects that have been mentioned for Middletown stimulus dollars, ranging from a sewage treatment plant to soccer fields to a new parking lot.  The mayor's list of projects seems to be a complete list of all projects that have been fully approved.  Most of these are within months of starting, whether or not the stimulus package dollars are provided.  For example, the $3.3 million Westfield water line, the $1.1 million Bartholomew pumping station,  and the $500 thousand downtown parking projects are already funded by existing Federal Grants or City Bonds.  

In these cases, the money that would have been spent is likely not available for other projects, and even if it were, no other projects for that existing money have been discussed. Thus, those projects will simply proceed as before, but with different dollars. If this is true, then we should quite deluding ourselves into thinking that the stimulus package will have any effect on our City.  

Other projects seem to have arisen from thin air or old pipe dreams, what is "Middlesex Hospital Renovations" for $5.6 million, or "Straighten Country Club Road" for $6 million? In some cases, residents can make educated guesses, but crucially important details are missing.  What is the difference between Giuliano's $4 million "North End Homeowners and Health Renewal Project" and Rell's $10 million dollar project with the same name?  What precisely will these dollars be buying?  

If residents are to be assured that projects are being selected for their ability to improve Middletown, there must be more transparency in the process. The source of each project should be clearly stated, and if a project has been placed on a list by a particular politician, s/he should stand up to take responsibility for that. This is the only way that residents can be assured that the interests of Middletown are being served, not the interests of political patronage.  Residents would be justified in suspicion of chicanery if information about project selection is not provided.  

The content of the project lists also leaves much to be desired

Where is the vision? Where are the projects that address pressing needs of our City, or transform the lives of its citizens, or make investments which will have long term benefits to all?  While I cannot claim to know what projects would benefit Middletown the most, it is informative to compare our projects to those of other cities in our state. 

The governor's web site with all state projects makes this comparison quite easy.  What is strikingly absent from Middletown's list, in these times of frightening cuts in the school budget, is anything relating to schools. Other towns have not been shy about seeking funding for their schools.  The word "school" appears 365 times in the statewide list of projects, in the context of replacing windows, boilers, roofs for energy efficiency, and in the context of building schools. No project in Middletown is targeted to schools.  

Other words also appear many times in the statewide list, including "sidewalk" (111 times), "park" (129 times), "bus" (14 times), "rail" (14 times).  Those words do not appear anywhere in the list of projects proposed for Middletown.  

With so much at stake, it is disappointing how little discussion or transparency there has been about the projects being proposed.  Is the list complete?  Are the Middletown projects ones that will improve our town? Do these projects provide long term benefits, in the form of savings or quality of life?  The Economic Development Committee meeting on Monday would be an opportune time to begin a discussion which addresses such questions. 

EDC backs parking plan, and bid to buy two properties

In a foreshortened meeting of the Economic Development Committee, the commission backed a parking plan which would include the creation of a more extensive parking lot which links the City Hall lot with the Melilli Plaza lot, through regrading and demolition of a wall which divides the lots. The plan also calls for extension of the city lot adjacent to the court house, and development of a plan for a Main Street trolley.

The committee also voted to recommend the purchase of two properties, with existing homes, on Wadsworth Street near Long Lane. Money to buy the properties was stricken from the budget during deliberations between the mayor and the Common Council. Still the EDC felt strongly that the purchase would be beneficial to the city, since it owns adjoining property, and decided to recommend that the Common Council reconsider funding the purchase.

In a brief discussion of the extension of the lease for Harbor Park, which is still in mediation, town planner Bill Warner indicated that the details of the negotiated agreement were "falling apart" due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the lease extension. Committee member Joseph Bibisi agreed, saying that negotiations had "a long way to go."