Governor In Middletown Today For Riverfront Redevelopment Announcement

There'll be dueling Dans down by the river today.

Governor Dan Malloy and Mayor Dan Drew will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. at the gazebo next to the Mattabesett Canoe Club to make an announcement about Middletown's Riverfront Redevelopment plans. 

The city has been working on plans to redevelop the "South Cove" area of the river once the existing sewage treatment plant there has been dismantled.

In July, when the Middletown Riverfront Redevelopment Commission submitted its final plans, Mayor Drew told the Middletown Press he had begun "preliminary overtures" to the governor’s office to seek financial assistance, but "had a ways to go before delivering a formal application to the state."

A Break In The Weather

The weather cleared off finally, providing a beautiful cool evening along the river. Plenty of people were enjoying the weather at Harbor Park, including these folks paddling on home.

Harbor Park Lease: Commentary

From Judith Brown, a commentary

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I just read the interesting article in the Courant about a possible new lease and a new group of people managing the Harbor Park restaurant. This could be a real plus and a very exciting development; however, having seen the kinds of leases the city has signed in the past, I wonder if the public will be able to see and comment on the proposed new lease before the Council votes on it on Monday. Will the new lease, for example, have the same provision as the old one, allowing the lesees and their descendants ad infinitum to renew the lease at their pleasure, regardless of whether the city is happy with the way they run Harbor Park or not? Are there reasonable provisions for termination of the lease by the city? Are there reasonable provisions for changing the rent that is charged so as to provide much needed revenues to the city while also creating incentives for good restaurant managers to make the changes that will turn this into a restaurant that is not only profitable but also high quality well into the future.

Have members of the public seen the proposed document? What plans are there for the public to be informed in a timely manner about its contents so as to allow for comment in the next few days as well as at the Council meeting? Without such transparency there is no possibility of influencing the outcome and there is a high probability of entering once more into an agreement that is not benefitial to the city at large. Harbor Park is an important site in Middletown – essential to the future of the city’s downtown. We need transparency about this transaction.

North Harbor Park Clean-up Continues July 25

Much progress has been made on reclaiming the North end of Harbor Park from invasive species, vegetative and human.

The clean-up will continue with volunteer crews including the Middletown Crew team, the Lions, volunteers from the Jonah Center and anyone else who would like to help on the morning of July 25. In a note to the Middletown Eye, Elizabeth Santangelo comments on the work yet to be done:

The work on the 25th will consist of completing the clearing of the west side shoulder, spreading mulch along the fence line (the Parks Department will have already sprayed the area to retard weed growth and hopefully had time to straighten the couple of brownstones that are out of alignment), edge the grass around the Lions Landing gazebo and walkway (for those allergic to poison ivy) and clear the farthest most point of the park to show the ferry docking slip (the crew team has already discovered this as a great place to watch the start of the race). This work should fully complete the restoration of the north end of Harbor Park and Lions Landing for community enjoyment.

Volunteers have been asked to bring long handled cutters for the weeds and vines. Ken will bring the wheel borrows and rakes for the mulching. He usually has his handy chainsaw and we are hoping our prior volunteer with a chain saw will be there as well - some of the vines are like trees. I will bring rakes and cutters as well. When we get a final count, we can refine the tools being brought and what will be needed.

From 1909: Middletown Yacht Club

Note: This article is from the May 31st, 1909 Hartford Courant.

The club house of the Middletown Yacht Club was in what we now call Harbor Park. The Middletown Yacht Club at one point was the largest of its kind in Connecticut, according to an excellent article in The Eye about its history.

Restoring the River View at Harbor Park

It was a dreamlike scene. The wind carried a river of cottonwood seed aloft, flowing in the same direction of the great grey river below, as the sun provided a backlight of the tiny airborne seed parachutes. On the river young women sweat and strained as the coxswain shouted encouragement in the heat of a high school regatta. On the shore another, volunteer crew from the Lions, from Middletown and from the Connection worked up a sweat on their own, pulling rope-thick vines of bittersweet and poison ivy, and hacking through sumac and suckers to clear the North End of Harbor Park. Under the watchful gaze of organizer Elizabeth Santangelo, and John Hall of the Jonah Center, the crew made surprising quick progress, restoring a wonderful view to the weed-choked banks of the Connecticut river North of the Route 9 tunnel access to the river.

A River Runs Through It

The Connecticut River is such an important part of Middletown and its history, but you'd hardly know it by how hard we've made it to get to, and enjoy the river.

Saturday morning May 30, a clean-up of the North End of Harbor Park will be hosted by the Jonah Center, with help and partnership of the Lion's Club and crews from The Connection's AIC (Judicial Branch Community Service Work Crews).

It's an effort to make the beautiful North end of the park more accessible and less threatening.

Work begins at 8 AM, and free coffee and donuts will be provided by Lady Catherine cruises.

Volunteers should wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves and gloves. Note that there is poison ivy in the area, so people who are highly allergic should not participate in this work day. Since we will be cutting, trimming and raking, volunteers are asked to bring clippers (short and long handled), small saws (hand, bow or sling) and rakes. (Make sure to mark your tools.)

A box lunch will be served at 12:00 noon for those who registered before May 26.

Volunteers Need For Harbor Park North Cleanup

From the Jonah Center

Reclaiming the North End of Harbor Park, Sat. May 30, 8 a.m.

Learn about invasive plants while we remove them from a prime Middletown location.

The Jonah Center calls for volunteers to help with this unique partnership opportunity that is closely related to our own mission.

Lunch and BBQ included. To make sure we have enough food, it is important that we know who is coming by Tuesday the 26th. Please reply to Lisa Santangelo at enws@comcast.net

Below are the background and details.

The Lions Club and crews from The Connection's AIC (Judicial Branch Community Service Work Crews) will be cleaning up the historic north end of Harbor Park. Japanese knot weed, Japanese sumac, bittersweet and other invasive plants have taken over the fencing and shoulder of the northern most 600 feet of the park. This screening from public view has attracted activities inconsistent with the stated "Waterfront Mission" which includes "A waterfront that serves as a focal point of community activities for people of all ages and interests throughout the year." and "Increased public awareness of the region's River-related culture and history." This area was once the landing for the ferry-boat that commerce between Middletown and Portland and the steamboat that took residents to Hartford and New York City.

Volunteers should wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves and gloves. Note that there is poison ivy in the area, so people who are highly allergic should not participate in this work day. Sun screen and sun glasses are recommended, as well as alcohol-containing hand gel to remove any plant oils we may contact.

Since we will be cutting, trimming and raking, volunteers are asked to bring clippers (short and long handled), small saws (hand, bow or sling) and rakes. (Make sure to mark your tools.)

We will have coffee and donuts at 8:00, then do a sweep of the litter before the crews arrive with the heavy tools between 8:15 and 8:30. A box lunch will be served at 12:00. We will finish the day with a BBQ around 3:30 or 4.

At Least the Lady Catherine Was Launched

For one good reason or another, there was little forward progress on most topics at the Economic Development Committee meeting Monday.

The discussion about proposing an ordinance to forestall the development of "sexually oriented businesses" was tabled after committee member David Bauer asked for more time to pore over the two inch thick document the planning department distributed on the matter.

There's a lot to be gleaned from what other communities have done to discourage these businesses.

"You can't prohibit them," explained city planner Bill Warner. "But you can zone them. We can find ways to regulate these businesses without violating the Supreme Court ruling."

Warner noted, for example, that strip clubs can be required to be brightly lit inside.

"You can't have a dark strip club anymore," he said.

While there is no immediate indication that a sexually oriented business wants to move into town, Warner noted the inevitability.

"We've had dozens of inquiries, but we've been able to discourage them all," he said. "We're a city of 50,000, and every other city of 50,000 has a business like this."

There was little discussion about the ongoing battle with the current lessee of Harbor Park, Frank Marratta, who insists he is eligible for a 25 year extension to the lease, which expired months ago. The city has been negotiating with Marratta for months, and while mediation is being considered, the case goes to trial in November with Marratta seeking a judgment in his favor, and damages.

Harbor Park was also part of the discussion as the owners of the Lady Catherine cruises was granted a five-year extension of their current lease by the EDC, who sent the lease to the Common Council for a vote. The new lease increases the liability of the cruise company from $1 million to $3 million, and specifies that city seniors will continue to enjoy their cruises on the river as part of the package. In addition a water meter will be added to the site so that the city is not providing water for free.

As regards Hubbard Park and Lady Catherine, and the ongoing parking problems the two parties are having, a map was produced which demonstrates that Harbor Park controls fifty parking spaces immediately North of the restaurant, and that the far North lot, and the South lot, are public parking.

In other matters, resident Trevor Davis suggested that a group like INFORM (Industry for Middletown) be engaged to create a solution for the Remington Rand building's lack of a buyer. Several committee members suggested that a long term lease, along with state and federal money for new windows, and remediation, might create a development which would attract tenants. Davis was asked to explore the issue further.

Little progress has been made with the Midfield Corporation about a parcel on the corner of Broad and College streets. According to Warner, the owners have "unilaterally exempted themselves from restrictions on the property," hampering negotiations with the city.

The public meeting ended as the committee voted to invoke executive session, and Mayor Sebastian Giuliano joined the committee to discuss an offer the Army has made for Cucia Park. The EDC is the sole authority to negotiate with the Army in the matter.

Riverfront Races

In case you'd like to join the spectators at Harbor Park, here's the calendar for the Middletown High Crew Team home races for this season.

Saturday, April 26 at 8 am for the Novice Regatta.
Saturday, May 2 at a time TBD against East Lyme and (TBD) Greenwich Academy
Wednesday, May 6 at 3 pm against Xavier, Sacred Heart and Lewis Mills
Saturday, May 9 at 10 am against Concord and Stonington
Saturday May 30 at a time TBD for the Emerson Regatta

For the die-hard crew fans, there are also the State Championships (May 17) and Neira Championships (May 23), away from Middletown.

On Saturday morning, MHS raced against Glastonbury and Litchfield, winning at least the men's varsity and probably a few more (How's that for biased reporting!?) Here are a few photos:

Where thy victory, O Grave?

The sun rose over the bend in the Connecticut River this morning, just as it has for some time now.

At 6:00 AM, a few dozen Middletown Christians gathered at the "chapel" at Harbor Park for a sunrise service led by Rev. Joan Cooper Burnett of the First Baptist Church. Coffee, donuts and old-timey hymns played on a portable keyboard were compensation enough for the early hour -- the service was brief, stirring and just as we closed, the sun burst over the large trailer barge jutting out onto the river, giving rise to a shout of victory from the congregation. The barge, apparently, is part of the Buckeye Pipeline effort, and thankfully will not be a permanent fixture on our riverfront.

After the service, we came home to find rabbit droppings in our garden. Happy Easter!

Two Weddings and a Regatta

Out for a walk yesterday, my husband and I happened on two wedding parties at Harbor Park and we enjoyed the fact that our riverfront is sometimes a destination sought out for its picturesque qualities.

Today the park is filled with crew teams and spectators for the 34th Head of the Connecticut Regatta.  Opportunities abound for more picture taking.  Races continue thru 4 pm today.  To check out how your favorite team did today visit the Regatta website at www.hctr.org 

Side note:  In time for this weekends events, the city washed and painted the tunnel from Harbor Park to the other side of Route 9.  I bet most visitors did not know the tunnel existed or that it had been cleaned up or that convenient parking was just a short walk away.   

Frank Marratta's vision for Harbor Park

Current lessee of Harbor Park, and aspirant for an extension of his lease, Frank Marratta appeared before the Economic Development Committee to present some speculative ideas for grounds improvements for Harbor Park. His plans for renovating the current restaurant are part of lease negotiations which are currently headed to trial, unless mediation can be successfully re-engaged.

The plans he presented today included an expansion of parking, which he indicated has been an ongoing request by city officials. His plans include expanding the current parking lot north along the river, just short of the current public bathrooms. Additional parking would be created across the street, adjacent to Route 9, and in the lot South of the restaurant. Marratta indicated that he understood that his plans, we're "just a starting point," and that he didn't expect all of his suggestions to be adopted.

Committee members, including Robert Santangelo and David Bauer questioned the extensive loss of riverside parkland to blacktop parking in the plans Marratta presented.

Marratta's plans also called for docking a decommissioned naval vessel adjacent to the restaurant, and building docking slips out into the river.

For their part, the committee politely listened, and suggested that no action could be taken until litigation concerning the lease extension for Harbor Park was settled.

In other decisions, the committee approved funding of a Small Business Development Center to be run by the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and headed by Paul Hughes, who has extensive experience counseling small businesses through financial matters.

The committee also accepted the donation of a small parcel of land on River Road, now owned by Mary Adams, which is adjacent to city property. The acceptance of the parcel must be voted on by the Common Council.

The Committee also approved an extension of a contract with Richard Jokunski of Jokunski Truck Sales, until the property, owned by the city, is remediated due to pollution by the former owner, Portland Chemical.

The week ahead Aug. 10-17

A not particularly inclusive lists of activities in the coming week. Please feel free to email (mieyeed@gmail.com) to include your additional notices.

Special Common Council Meeting - Monday August 10, 6:30 pm, Common Council Chambers
Discussion of the Police Contract, part of which will take place behind closed doors in executive session.

Economic Development Committee Meeting, Monday August 11, 5:30 pm, Room 208 City Hall - The renewal of the lease for Harbor Park will be discussed, as will the sale of the Remington Rand building to developer Thomas Briggs of TWB Properties. Since both agenda items are "standing items" on the committee agenda, little discussion is anticipated. The meeting will end promptly at 6:30 so board members can attend the special Common Council meeting.


Zoning Board Meeting, Wednesday August 13, 7:00 pm, Council Chambers, City Hall - Canceled.

Design Review Committee Meeting, Wednesday August 13, 5:30 pm, Room 208, City Hall - During which the demolition of 13 West Silver Street will be discussed.


Garden Party, Erin Street Community Garden - Thursday August 14, 5:30 pm. To celebrate another year of successful vegetable gardening at the community plot.

Motorcycle Mania - Wednesday August 13, 5pm - A few blocks of Main Street will be closed for this annual event during which loud noises will be emitted from polished chrome pipes.

Grupo Fantasia Concert - Thursday August 14, 7-9 pm, at the Louis Lopez Herb Garden, Main Street as part of the Community Health Center Summer Concert Series.

America's Cup Restaurant -- A Building with a Past

The recent news about the decision to renew the lease of the America's Cup Restaurant at Harbor Park reminded me of a very fine research project by a former student, Scott Quarrier, about the history of the building now occupied by the restaurant. Scott completed the project for a course I teach called "Waterways: Boats and Oceans in World History". What follows is mostly culled from Scott's efforts. (Scott graciously granted permission to use the fruits of his labors, and to mention his name. For Scott's sailing adventures in 2006-07, click here. Currently he is in New York City getting a masters in public health, conducting TB research, and preparing for medical school.)

The origins of the America's Cup building can be dated to 1896-97, when fifteen Middletown men formed the Mattabesett Canoe Club. According to an article in the May 4th 1901 Penny Press (the forerunner to the Middletown Press), the object of the club was “to promote the social and intellectual welfare of its members, to encourage a canoe yacht and aquatic sports canoe and yacht building and to promote naval architecture and the cultivation of naval science.” [Needless to say, there are some commas missing in the previous sentence, and possibly a word or two. But that's how it appears to have been reported.] The club grew rapidly: by 1906 membership had exploded to 216; the club soon took on a new name, The Middletown Yacht Club, and by 1913 was the biggest yacht club in Connecticut with 300 members; in 1914 the members were contemplating a new building, which became a reality in the following year. That new building, which cost $14,000 to build in 1914, is now occupied by America's Cup Restaurant. The picture below, which appears to have been taken from the river, is from a 1915 edition of The Rudder magazine.



The big change in the club, however (and this is one of the things that grabbed Scott's attention), was the increased popular interest in engine-powered boating, which occurred right around the turn of the century. According to a 1903 document, the vessels registered to the club included over forty canoes, but also nearly twenty steam- or gas-powered yachts. There were only a handful of sailboats. By 1913 power boats easily outnumbered canoes. By then, one of the big attractions was the annual power boat race along the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound, in which the Middletown contingent played the principal organizing role.

Eventually the Middletown Yacht Club migrated south, first to Maromas in 1945, and then to Chester (its current location) in 1957 -- and in the process it again underwent a name change, this time to the Middlesex Yacht Club. According to the Middlesex Yacht Club's website -- where there is a lovely 1924 photograph of the Harbor Park clubhouse, partly covered in ivy -- the shift from Maromas to Chester was precipitated by the decision on the part of the US Government to take over the Maromas location for an atomic laboratory, which eventually became United Technology's Pratt & Whitney plant. (In a way, then, the story intersects with another controversy that is bubbling up in Middletown, that is, the role of the US Government in Middletown, manifest at this particular moment in the new army training center being planned for the Westfield section of town.)

In addition to encouraging leisure boating, the Middletown Yacht Club served as a major social hub for Middletown in the early twentieth century. The Penny Press is full of reports about the annual banquets and other activities hosted by the club. Not surprisingly these were male dominated affairs. (A 1903 regulation, later dropped, advised that “As a precaution of safety, no member shall take out more than one lady at a time in his canoe.”) Nevertheless, one can imagine that the departure of the club left a gaping hole in the social life of the town. By then, of course, the citizens of Middletown had lost their connection to the river, due mainly to the construction of Route 9 in 1951 (which was the subject of another excellent student project and perhaps an upcoming story for the Eye).

It started in the Eye

OBSERVATION

Here's evidence that The Middletown Eye can have some influence on the issues of the city. We received an email from Lee Godburn who allowed us to reprint it in the Eye. As a result, a reporter from the Middletown Press, Sloan Brewster, did a follow-up report on the lease of Harbor Park. Her informative article was the front cover story of the Middletown Press today.

Speaking of local news writing, Middletown also made the front page of the Hartford Courant today with a story about the gash in Maromas and the new Kleen Energy Plant.


Ed McKeon is a writer, filmmaker and radio show host (WWUH, WESU) who lives in Middletown's Village District.

Questions about Harbor Park

This email, written by LK Godburn, and published with his permission, raises question about the lease deal between the City of Middletown and the current and future leaseholder of Harbor Park.




Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:24:22 -0400
Subject: Somethings fishy on the Ct. River
To: Governor.Rell@ct.gov
CC: cwproctor@courant.com

There has been no official comment from the public on this Harbor Park fiasco because frankly no one believed a governing City body in it's right mind would have re-leased the property, so people were caught unaware. That is now changed. If you would like to hear public outcry get ready. We want to know how and why Harbor Park has been allowed to operate with the violations of it's last lease for so long without the City taking action. We want to know what, if any, benefit the tax payers of Middletown are receiving for their hard earned tax dollars going to foster this bar. We would like to know why after all this time in business and the millions of dollars earned by this property Middletown needs to financially help it along. If we are forced to live with this new lease we would like to know what the City intends to do so we don't have to deal with another 25 years of the best location in town being misused and prostituted. We want to know why in a town that is known for it's restaurants the City is financially, unfairly, helping only one. We want to know what the taxpayers liability is going to be when someone finally sues for a drunk driving accident, and we want to know what right the City has to force the guilt of such a tragedy on us. We want to know when a City feels it is appropriate to own and be partnered in a bar. We want to know how appropriate it is to have a former Mayor's husband be the negotiator for this lease. We want to know why budgets are being cut for schools and arts but we have money for a bar. We demand to know the terms of this lease and if it includes the private boat dock for the Marratta yacht and why Frank Marratta has the right to charge other boats docking fees. We want to know what part of this expenditure benefits the taxpaying family. We want to know why it is felt that a low class bar is the best use of our priceless waterfront property. We want to know why other restaurants or developers were not given the opportunity to present other plans for use. And last but not least we want to know why this whole thing seems so shady?

Please tell all you know to call, write, E-mail City Hall www.Mayor@cityofmiddletown.com to let them know we are not just blindly approving this. Start and or sign petitions stating that you are not in agreement with this arrangement. Let's all meet at the meeting City Council should have to discuss this public expenditure and talk about the best use of this property. I don't know about you but my taxes are too high and my money to hard to make to see it being spent like this.