The Army Site selection process has inched forward one step, unfortunately it is not the step that Middletown residents were led to expect as part of the Army's open and collaborative site selection process.
Two sources have indicated that the Army Corps of Engineers will no longer be considering the Mile Lane site, which is currently owned by the army, for their proposed Armed Forces Reserve training center. Mile Lane was removed from consideration after Army lawyers determined that the language of the Base Relocation and Closure Act of 2005 (BRAC2005) required that the Mile Lane site be sold.
Meanwhile, the army continues to pursue 3 other sites for the Military training facility, all in the same Westfield area. One of these sites, Boardman Lane, has been roundly condemned as unsuitable by Middletown residents, and by officials at all levels of the government.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro spoke with the commander of the Louisville Army Corps on Friday, and issued a statement expressing consternation that the Boardman Lane property is still being considered. She indicated that the process that they are now following did not appear to be a collaborative one, saying, "I reinforced with him that by keeping Boardman Lane as an option they will not only continue to face stiff resistance, but also breed mistrust with the community. Additionally, its presence is likely to further reinforce the public's skepticism over this process, as well as the weight and value the Army places on the feedback from the community."
Members of the Louisville Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, including its commander, Keith Landry, will be in Middletown on Monday to discuss the status of their site selection process with Congresswoman DeLauro, Governor Rell, and other elected officials. This discussion will apparently not include a release of the ranking of the remaining sites, as promised by Colonel Landry and others on several occasions. In a letter to the editor published in the Middletown Press on October 6, Colonel Landry gave his word that the ranking would be released, "I expect the Army to release the "Site Rankings" in November. ... I look forward to returning to Middletown in the near future to release the Army's ranking of the four proposed sites." This was consistent with the statements of the civilian head of the Louisville Division, David Dale, who was quoted in the August 27th edition of the Middletown Press, "Ultimately in about the end of October [we intend] to have a site selected." Colonel Landry is sure to be asked on Monday to justify why he is unable to keep his word that the site selection would be an open one.
The Army Corps of Engineers will host a Press round table at the Inn at Middletown on Monday, November 10th, at 3:00PM. Colonel Landry will give a statement and then answer questions from the Media. The Corps will also release the comments they received from the Pentagon's Army Chief of
Installation Management on the proposed sites and their decisions on the path
forward.
Pooh on the Shoe
ReplyDeleteGet the Boardman Lane monkey off the WRA's back...To credit the Army's intelligence as capable of employing strategy or tactics in this never-ending, blunder through Middletown's environs in search of a site for the Grand AFRC, is a triumph of hope over experience. Like the bite of a dog tick, the wound caused by the Army's intrusion itches ferociously for what feels like forever, a constant and irritating reminder of who we are dealing with. Pardon my incredulity, but an entity that can issue a legal opinion that recognizes the illegality of re-using property already owned because it is required to be sold according to BRAC 2005 law should be subject to simple tests for ludicrous insanity! The behavior of Middletown’s leadership, pandering to the Chamber of Commerce, recommending irresponsible, sprawling, developmental nightmares and convening non-representative Advisory Panels, makes their sanity equally suspect.
Where is Sasquatch when you need him?
Jasper Cane
Never attribute to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
ReplyDeleteHanlon's Law cannot be flouted by the Army.
ReplyDeleteNow they've discovered that the language of the BRAC legislation mandates them to sell Mile Lane? Gosh, one can find anything in that holy legislation. Funny they did not notice it before. Curiouser and curiouser.
ReplyDelete