SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Town Hall, 1st Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Randi Bradbury called the Special Meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present
Randi Bradbury, Chairman
Diane Aldi DePaola, Vice Chairman
Mary Kennedy
Mark Carruthers
Members Absent
Richard Peters
Jeffrey Meotti
Eugene Creighton
Donald Brigham
Staff Present
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
There were 14 members of the public present.
MOTION: to move IV. NEW BUSINESS A. Mailboxes to the beginning of the meeting. MOVED: R. Bradbury; SECONDED: D. Aldi DePaola; IN FAVOR: R. Bradbury, D. Aldi DePaola, M. Kennedy, M. Carruthers; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 4-0-0.
Donna DiBella of 91 North Cove Road submitted a letter dated May 16, 2013 listing the many reasons why she disagrees with the USPS Postmaster’s opinion that North Cove Road property owners move their mailboxes curbside. She feels the street is being unfairly singled out, that the change in mailbox location will not enhance the neighborhood, and she expressed concerns about curbside mailboxes being repeatedly knocked over by town snowplows. She referenced a
paragraph from the USPS web site about curbside mail delivery and questioned some of the definitions and how they relate to North Cove.
Bob Welsh of 86 North Cove Road, thanked members of the HDC for all they do to preserve and enhance the NCHD. He talked about curbside mailboxes being knocked over by snowplows in the past. He said years ago the postmaster did not require property owners to put mailboxes at the end of their driveways. He expressed concerns about the mailboxes being knocked over again. He recanted a recent conversation he had with the Old Saybrook Postmaster which he felt was unproductive.
Barbara Aubin of 152 North Cove Road talked about Essex Village in downtown Essex and Lyme Street in Old Lyme as designated historic districts whose residents are not required to build mailboxes at the end of their driveways. She spoke of a homeowner who was hit and killed getting mail from his mailbox in Hartford, and she has concerns about the safety of North Cove residents as they retrieve their mail from streetside mailboxes.
Bill DiBella of 91 North Cove Road asked if this is an appealable issue. He suggested that someone speak to US Congressman Joe Courtney to ask what power the Postmaster has in making this demand.
R. Bradbury saw former Old Saybrook Police Chief Edmund Mosca in the audience and asked him if during his tenure as Chief of Police, there was ever an issue with curbside mailboxes in North Cove. E. Mosca said there were never issues with mailboxes on North Cove Road when he was Chief of Police. He said it might be a good idea to contact the traffic safety commission to ask them for their viewpoint on the safety of the area.
D. Aldi DePaola said the HDC needed to determine if the mailboxes would be considered permanent structures. Also, she asked if the Postmaster has to adhere to Old Saybrook’s Zoning Regulations.
R. Bradbury said in the Zoning Regulations, signs and fences are referred to as structures, so she’s assuming mailboxes might be considered structures as well.
M. Carruthers said some residents of North Cove do have mailboxes out by their driveways now. He would like to check with the town’s legal representatives and/or congressional representatives to discuss this matter. He asked why North Cove is being singled out and if there was input from any other town agencies or DOT agencies in making this a requirement.
Bob Welsh said when he spoke to the Postmaster, she said she had the authority to make this decision, and she didn’t have to consult with anyone.
R. Bradbury spoke to the Postmaster also. The Postmaster said as the new Postmaster, it was her responsibility to ride all mail routes with her mail carriers,
and because the mail carrier for North Cove Road had to cross the road so many times while delivering the mail, she was very concerned about his safety and the efficiency of mail delivery.
R. Bradbury said property owners are often required to transfer their mailboxes from their house to the curbside, but she feels there should be further investigation of who has jurisdiction to regulate this decision. She said if the HDC determines that curbside mailboxes are not necessary, the HDC will be setting a precedent, and if they do, they could be jeopardizing mail delivery in the future for those who do not put in curbside mailboxes.
R. Bradbury asked Commissioners if they believed mailboxes should be considered a structure. Commissioners said, yes, they did feel curbside mailboxes were structures. R. Bradbury said this means the HDC has jurisdiction over the way mailboxes look and what materials they can be made from.
John Maxwell of 100 North Cove Road said he was told property owners were grand-fathered and could have mail slots and/or mailboxes attached to their homes until they sold their properties at which time the new owners would be required to put in curbside mailboxes.
R. Bradbury submitted for the record a letter written by Marilyn Alfeld of 110 North Cove Road stating her opposition to the Postmaster’s request due to her concern that the curbside mailboxes would be knocked down by town snowplows.
Commissioners wondered if residents of other areas of Old Saybrook were being required to put up curbside mailboxes. They felt this decision was selective and arbitrary.
D. Aldi DePaola mentioned that years back, some residents in Cornfield Point were required to move their mailboxes to the curbside.
According to the letter sent by the Old Saybrook Postmaster, North Cove residents were told they must put up their curbside mailboxes by June 1, 2013.
R. Bradbury will contact Town Attorney Michael Cronin to get a legal opinion, and she will talk with First Selectman Carl Fortuna. M. Carruthers will talk with Congressman Joe Courtney. R. Bradbury will contact the Postmaster to request an extension of the June 1, 2013 deadline until more information about the Postmaster’s jurisdiction has been gathered.
R. Bradbury informed members of the audience that they can automatically subscribe to receive meeting agendas and minutes for the Town’s Boards and Commissions through the oldsaybrookct.org website.
Correspondence relating to this matter will be kept on file for the public’s review in the Land Use Office.
III. OLD BUSINESS
- Certified Local Government
Commissioners would like to become a Certified Local Government. They feel it will be very positive for the town. R. Bradbury will contact C. Fortuna to proceed.
MOTION: to become a designated Certified Local Government.; MOVED: D. Aldi DePaola; SECONDED: M. Carruthers; IN FAVOR: R. Bradbury, D. Aldi DePaola, M. Kennedy, M. Carruthers; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 4-0-0.
E. Mosca came to tonight’s meeting as a representative of the OS Historical Society to encourage the HDC to become a Certified Local Government.
- Awareness-building Initiative
D. Aldi DePaola is working on the brochure, but progress is moving slowly. Town Planner Christine Nelson offered to help with the brochure, and D. Aldi DePaola is looking forward to working with her on that.
R. Bradbury would like to delineate the HDC as a regulatory board and North Cove as a tourist attraction. She wants them to be seen as separate entities.
E. Mosca said the Historical Society would be happy to help the HDC with a brochure. He suggested D. Aldi DePaola contact Tedd Levy.
D. Aldi DePaola reported that E. Creighton is working on the signs. R. Bradbury suggested the HDC could apply for a grant for signage as a Certified Local Government.
C. Guiderail
R. Bradbury said J. Meotti has been working on alternative ways to improve the look of the guiderail.
Donna DiBella noted that back on October 18, 2012, she gave J. Meotti copies of paperwork she submitted with suggestions about plantings for the guiderail.
She had suggested the guiderail be covered with wood to enhance its appearance.
There was discussion about the safety of a wooden guiderail versus a metal guiderail. The existing metal guiderail meets safety regulations, but residents
would like it to be faced with wood to make it more attractive. A quote for the wood facing from years ago was approximately $45,000.00. At that time, R. Bradbury suggested a less expensive alternative be explored. Residents would like to pursue this. R. Bradbury said she would talk with C. Fortuna about the guiderail.
V. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Meeting Minutes
MOTION: to approve the minutes of December 20, 2012 as presented; MOVED: M. Kennedy; SECONDED: R. Carruthers; IN FAVOR: R. Bradbury, M. Kennedy, M. Carruthers; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: D. Aldi DePaola; APPROVED: 3-0-1.
Other than the letters received about the mailboxes, there was no new correspondence.
- Committee, Representative & Staff Reports
There were no new committee, representative or staff reports.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: to adjourn the meeting at 8:34 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled HDC meeting on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room; MOVED: D. Aldi DePaola; SECONDED: M. Kennedy; IN FAVOR: R. Bradbury, D. Aldi DePaola, M. Kennedy, M. Carruthers; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 4-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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