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.  

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.

River Cruise Seeks Lease Extension

(Alan Perkoski addresses the EDC.)

The Lady Catherine Cruises which offer a number of Connecticut River cruises (parties, weddings, leaf-peeping, eagle-watching, senior cruises) appealed to the Economic Development Committee Monday to extend a lease which is due to expire on April 30.

Representatives of the boat and cruises described the success of the cruises, but operations manager Alan Perkoski explained some of the challenges crews and passengers encountered.

"We come forward not with a complaint, but with a problem to share with you," Perkoski explained to the commission.

Perkoski explained a problem with parking and with the competition for spaces with Harbor Park restaurant.

"It becomes a Hatfield-McCoy situation out there between staffs when it comes to parking," he said.

Neither the cruise owners, nor the EDC had a firm hold on how many spaces were legitmately controlled by Harbor Park, and how many were public spaces.

Besides the parking, Perkoski expressed concern about vagrants who lingered in the park, and the tunnel connection with public parking in Mellili Plaza.

"The tunnel has improved considerably," Perkoski admitted. "But there's still a problem on more occasions than we like."

Perkoski complained about debris, broken glass and the smell of urine.

"There is parking available in the public lot," committee member Joe Bibisi explained. "But if you don't want to use the tunnel I understand. I wouldn't use the tunnel myself."

The committee promised to assemble all the necessary committee members and staff members to review the lease, and consider such items as parking, safety and docking fees.

(Wesleyan students Miller Nuttle, Paolo Sperin, Tanya Moss and the Jonah Center's John Hall.)

In other business, the EDC considered a presentation by the Jonah Center, and a set of Wesleyan University students who are developing a set of green standards by which Middletown businesses could assess and promote their adherence to green standards.

The committee also learned that TWB Properties had formerly withdrawn their bid to buy the former Remington Rand Typewriter Factory. No other firm offers are currently in the wings. The Common Council counted on the income from the sale of the factory when creating their budget last year, and, as a result, must anticipate a budget shortfall of $1 million.

In a related matter, the Film Chest company, which leases space in the building was asking for a month to month lease when faced with a rent increase from $1.50 per foot to $3.00 per foot.