PRESS RELEASE
April 27, 2016
Middletown on the Move needs your help! Public survey, call for
photos, and save-the-dates for upcoming events.
“Hearing
directly from the people who live in these neighborhoods is the only way the
City can make investments that will have the greatest positive community impact,”
said Middletown Mayor Daniel T. Drew, “and the City appreciates any information
that residents can provide.” The City,
with its Middletown on the Move initiative, is asking residents to get involved
in the planning and improvement of their neighborhood. Residents can visit www.middletownctonthemove.com or check out our Facebook page facebook.com/middletownctonthemove/. On the website, visitors can
take a short survey to share a bit about who they are, what they do for
recreation, and how their neighborhood can be improved. This survey will supplement the resident
survey conducted last Fall.
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Is there a
particular place in the City you love to visit, walk or ride your bike? Do you
have concerns about a particular intersection, local park, building or
sidewalk? Share your experiences with a photo and add your voice to it if you
like!
§ Post to Facebook, and then share with the Middletown
on the Move page
§ Post to Instagram, Picasa, Flickr or any
other photo sharing website, and use the tag #MiddletownCTontheMove
Save the Dates
The City is hosting a series of events to help engage
residents in planning for brownfield redevelopment and neighborhood
improvement.
Brownfield Bus Tours
Saturday, May 14, 2016
10 am - 12 pm and 1 - 3 pm
There will be two identical tours.
Space is limited, reserve your space today.
Join Middletown on the Move Staff to learn
about brownfield redevelopment opportunities, and how these underutilized
properties can become neighborhood recreation assets. To reserve a spot, register
on line at
www.middletownctonthemove.com/events
Open Houses and Public Forums in 3 neighborhoods
Drop by any time during an open
house to share your ideas and learn about Middletown on the Move. Explore different ways to make small public
spaces more fun and active and about health issues in your community. Plenty of games, activities and information
for the whole family!
Discussions during the open houses will help shape the conversation
during the public forums in the evenings and address brownfield redevelopment
opportunities, neighborhood concerns, and steps the City is taking to improve the
quality of life in Middletown.
Downtown - Wednesday,
May 25, 2016
Open House from 11 am to 3 pm
· Riverview Center Terrace (located between the
Police Department and Amici Grille)
Forum from 7 pm to 9 pm
· deKoven House – 27 Washington St
North End - Wednesday,
June 1, 2016
Open House from 11 am to 3 pm
And Forum from 7
– 9pm
· Both at Middletown Community Health Center -
675 Main St.
· Visit a pop-up park across the street at Main
and Grand during the Open House!
South End - Wednesday,
June 8, 2016
Open House from 1 – 3 pm and Public Forum from 7 -9 PM
· Both at Middletown Senior Center - 61 Durant
Pl
For more information, contact Patrice Barrett
at Patrice.Barrett@MiddletownCT.Gov or at 860-638-4836
About Middletown
on the Move:
Middletown on the Move is a grant project funded by the Centers for Disease Control ATSDR
division and looks at specific redevelopment opportunities in Middletown’s
Downtown, North End, and South End neighborhoods to create greener, healthier
places to live and work. The goals are
to develop: a healthier environment, a network of streets and recreational
spaces where people can safely walk, ride, play, shop, and dine, a stronger
economy, and more vibrant neighborhoods.
The City is planning many ways to get Middletown moving,
including investments in existing parks and open space, riverfront development,
and exploring ways to improve connectivity throughout the City. Middletown
on the Move is building on these efforts by working with residents to
develop new recreational opportunities on currently underused brownfield
properties.
Why does the City care about reusing brownfields and
increasing opportunities for active living? Recently, in 436 Middletown children ages 3 to 5, 30% were
overweight or obese. A major contributor to childhood obesity is a lack of safe
outdoor space to play and be active. The three target neighborhoods have a
median income 43% lower than Middletown as a whole (US Census). Poverty can be
an indicator of poor health, particularly when neighborhoods have environmental
concerns and public safety issues. Reusing brownfields can help
clean up our environment, improving health and recreation opportunities, and
remove unfair blight for nearby residents.
Middletown on the Move is
about EVERYONE! The City seeks
involvement from local residents, particularly those living downtown and in the
North and South Ends. Over the next six months, residents and
businesses will have a chance to learn more about the opportunities for
brownfield redevelopment, talk about their personal experiences in these
neighborhoods, and share ideas for making the city healthier, friendlier, and
safer for walking, biking, and being physically active. Because decisions made through
This project will result in an
actionable agenda to transform particular vacant or underutilized properties
into places that can improve quality of life. Members of the project
Stakeholder Committee include: City of Middletown Planning, Conservation and Development,
Public Health and Recreation &
Community Services departments, ProHealth Physicians Middletown, North End
Action Team, Middlesex Coalition for Children, Opportunity Knocks; Middletown Youth Services, Middletown
Community Health Center, YMCA; Wesleyan University; and the Senior and
Disabled Communitiesin Middletown.
The Common Council held a meeting last night to allow public input into the budget hearing. It was attended by most Council members; the only ones that were missing were Phil Pessina (R), Carl Chisem (D), and Grady Faulkner (D). About 100 people attended, and 40 people addressed the Council.
She said, "Concerns have been raised ... [about one of these outside contractors, Sodexo]", she offered no specificity about who raised those concerns, or what they were. She went on to bemoan the privatization of public services, pointing to the "debacle at the DMV." She said, "public employees are vested in the system, they are vested in your people, not an outside corporation."
