Common Council Approves Harbor Park Lease Transfer

At Monday's meeting, the Common Council voted to approve the transfer of the city's lease for Harbor Park Restaurant from it's current leaseholder, Frank Maratta, to a new partnership, the Mattabassett Canoe Club formed by Dan Cronin of Higganaum and John Krevey.

Judith Brown, who has provided commentary on the lease exhance on the Eye, was the only citizen to sound a warning about the city's approach to the long-term lease.

"The history of the city's contracts does not inspire confidence," Brown said.  "This is one of the most important sites for Middletown, and for Middletown's future.  What I worry about is that this is another lost opportunity to do something good."

Brown complained that the actual settlement reached between the city, Maratta and the new leaseholders was not available for inspection by the public, a complaint echoed later in the meeting by Council members David Bauer and Tom Serra.  She also noted that the restaurants in New York City run by the new leaseholders have sometimes received less-than-favorable reviews on the internet.

Cronin, who attended the meeting, spoke about his plans for the site.



"We believe we can give Harbor Park the focus it deserves," Cronin said.  "It is a gem.  We plan to provide good, wholesome, affordable food."

Cronin indicated that his partnership would work to transform the restaurant immediately after taking ownership, including a thorough cleaning, landscaping and an end to the amplified music played on summer nights in the restaurant's band shell.

"Right now it's a dark, dingey cavern and the people of Middletown deserve better," Cronin said.  "I've driven down Route 9 for fifteen years, and I've never stopped.  It just never called out to me."

Cronin said the partnership plans more extensive renovations beginning in the fall, but will begin immediately to change the menu, and attempt to appeal to a broader demographic than the patrons who currently come to the restaurant to hear "loud rock 'n' roll music."

Cronin plans to serve three meals daily at the site.

"This place is at it's prime between 7 and noon," he said.  "We plan to serve breakfast immediately so families can begin to enjoy the river."

Several Council members spoke in favor of the new lease agreement but warned Cronin that Spring flooding could be a problem.

Cronin admitted he didn't have an answer to the nearly-annual flooding problem at the restaurant, but seemed undaunted in his enthusiasm to transform the site.

During the questions to directors segment of Monday's meeting, City Attorney Tim Lynch explained that the new leaseholders had agreed to a review of the annual rent, currently set at $22,624 a year, and tied to the Consumer Price Index for increases.  The rent negotiations will begin eight years into the contract.

Frank Maratta received belated praise from some Council members on Monday for his initial attempt to transform Harbor Park 27 years ago.

"We have to give Maratta credit for bringing the restaurant to what it is today," Serra said describing the site previously as completely rundown.  He noted that at the time, Maratta took a big risk in taking on the cleanup of the site, and the opening of a new restaurant, and that for many years the restaurant was considered a good place to dine.

Maratta was not present at the meeting but issued a press release.

"I am very proud to have been the original developer of this historic property," Maratta said in his release.  "It will remain one of the greatest achievements of my life to have taken what was once an uninhabited shell of a building and restore it as a valuable landmark of Middletown."

Hell Freezes Over, Serra Agrees With Bauer On Absence of Contracts

As mentioned earlier, Council members David Bauer took exception to four of the proposed resolutions on Monday's agenda which asked for Council approval of contracts the city will engage in with lease holders.

"This is the only chance for the public to examine these contracts and they are not available," Bauer said.  "I think we're going in the wrong direction.  If we don't have something that looks like a contract, I can't vote to approve."

Serra noted that it was a historic moment for him to be agreeing with Bauer, but that Bauer's complaint made sense, and that contracts should be provided for Council members and the public to examine before the city engages in a legal agreement.

Council member James Streeto noted that some contract language may reveal business details that leaseholders may not want exposed to public scrutiny, but Bauer countered that by the time negotiations reach the point of drafting a contract, the document has become public information.

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano agreed that contracts should be attached to legislation, particularly when agreements are standard format lease agreements.

Council member Gerry Daley said that all pertinent language for agreements to be voted on Monday was available in the language of the resolutions presented to the Council and the public.

The Council approved all the lease agreements, with Bauer being the only Council member to vote against.

In the end, the Common Council did not change policy regarding the attachment of legal agreements to the resolutions being voted on at meetings.

When questioned after the meeting Bauer indicated that it's not the major clauses of an agreement that he's worried about but the "fine print."

"The devil is in the details," Bauer said, indicating that's it's common wisdom to read the fine print of a legal contract before signing on the dotted line.

Bicycles On the Table

The proposed ordinance to create a committee to examine improvements for non-automobile transit in the city was quickly tabled after complaints from Planning and Zoning Commission chair Quentin Phipps, and P&Z member Catherine Johnson that neither the title of the committee, nor its makeup reflected the needs to examine all aspects of transit in the city.  Both P&Z members noted that the purview for such changes usually is assigned to the P&Z and that the fact that the resolution made it to the Council without comment by that body was unusual.

Biking proponent Beth Emery also complained that while she has testified publicly on several occasions about the need for new biking regulations, she was not invited to the table by City Planner Bill Warner when the ordinance before the Council was drafted.

"I'm easy to find," Emery joked.

The Council voted to send the resolution to the Public Works department for consideration, to ask the Planning and Zoning Commission for comments, and to have the Economic Development Committee and the Ordinance Review Committee to re-examine the ordinance.


Oh Yes, The Showmobile

Once again a city organization appeared before the Common Council to ask for a waiver of fees for use of the city's Showmobile, a portable stage in a trailer, and once again it became the topic of the longest and most contentious debate of the evening.  Even the mayor, who chairs the meeting, brought attention to the Showmobile's reputation as a lightning rod for debate.

Cross Street AME Zion Church was requesting the waiver of fees, and Council member Ron Klattenberg was the first to indicate he would abstain from voting.

"Some of these events who we are waiving fees for make ten's of thousands of dollars at their events" Klattenberg said.  He indicated that the city was in dire financial times, "looking under rocks for nickels" and that the waiving of any fees was not good practice.

David Bauer chided Klattenberg saying that if were against the waiving of fees then he should vote "no" instead of abstaining from the vote (even with two abstentions - Klattenberg and Vinnie Loffredo, and Bauer's "no" vote, the waiver passed by large majority).

Council members including Phil Pessina and Bob Santangelo said that the Showmobile helped deserving organizations in town like AME Zion Church and that it promoted events in Middletown which make Middletown an interesting place to live and visit.

"If we back down on support of these events we may as well shut down Main Street," Santangelo said.

Klattenberg countered that the lack of a Showmobile would not make any of the planned events any less successful..

David Bauer called for new regulations about the use of the Showmobile from the Public Works commission, and Council member James Streeto suggested that waiver of all fees, at all times might be a more effective policy.

The Council voted to waive the fees of the Showmobile for use by Cross Street AME Zion Church for their Celebrate Me Cultural Bazaar.