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TOWN OF OLD LYME
HALLS ROAD IMPROVEMENTS COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
January 3, 2019
Meeting Date: Thursday, January 3, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Old Lyme Town Hall, Mezzanine Conference Room
- Call to order. – 6:37 p.m.
- Committee members in attendance: Sabrina Foulke, BJ Bernblum, Edie Twining, Howard Margules, Ray Thompson, Bud Canaday by phone, and Bonnie Reemsnyder, ex officio. Guests: Jon Curtis, RiverCog consultant; community members Justin Fuller, Laurie Walker, Alex Close, Katie Close, Wendy Ford, Robin Breeding.
- Approval of minutes of November 29, 2018.
Ray Thompson motion to approve, Edie Twining second, all in attendance vote in favor.
- BJ Bernblum nominated to continue as chairman of the committee. Bud Canaday motion to approve, Howard Margules second, all in attendance vote in favor.
- Sabrina Foulke proposed to adopt a meeting schedule for 2019 to be at 6:00 p.m. the first Thursday of the month. Howard Margules motion to approve, Ray Thompson second, all in attendance vote in favor.
- Review of YUDW Public Meeting on December 6th 2018.
- Recognition that the meeting evolved differently than was originally intended. It became a question and answer session rather than a workshop. All agreed this was appropriate to the community’s needs.
- Concerns were raised that some attendees assumed YUDW’s presentation was further along. Our aim was to present design ideas for the community to react to. Instead, questions were asked and answered regarding a number of project issues.
- Concern expressed that some of the YUDW slides illustrated concepts with large city examples, rather than more-similar town centers. This seemed to create an unnecessary distraction.
- Planning aims include: keep character of town, make a walkable center, and create guidelines to propose to zoning.
- “Next steps” discussion addressed how best to present accurate information to the community, including answers to issues raised at the meeting and in subsequent emails to the Committee. Ideas included:
- Prepare a “frequently asked questions” paper.
- Draft a “process paper” explaining the various steps that the project may follow in moving from design to implementation. BJ Bernblum & Howard Magules offered to work on items a. & b.
- Address the financial opportunities in developing commercial and residential properties on Halls Road, and how these can impact taxes in a positive way.
- Consider a survey to identify what planning elements townspeople think important. Jon Curtis & Edie Twining offered to work on this. This would be conducted after items a. & b. have been circulated.
- Need to meet with boards & commissions of the town to discuss the project directly and solicit their input and support, including design, zoning, and financing issues.
- Additional town informational meetings and YUDW presentations will be discussed in February’s meeting.
- How to get information out to the most people?
- Decided we may not need a dedicated website but may be able to use the town’s website after it undergoes planned enhancements.
- The key part of any public resource is having a dedicated ‘content provider’ to provide information on a timely basis. Content harder to provide than the venue!
- Guest Wendy Ford suggested building a broader email list to update interested citizens in the project. She relies on News & Announcements to learn what is going on. Bonnie is constantly encouraging folks to sign up for that resource.
- Media that could be used to disseminate information include: Old Lyme’s News & Announcements; LymeLine; new OL town website; FB – People of Old Lyme page; Lyme Events Magazine; the Day.
- Email Halls Road town meeting attendees; direct mail or personal meeting to property owners, especially the OL Marketplace to discuss our process/vision.
- CERC Status
- OL Board of Finance turned down the Board of Selectmen’s and Economic Development Commission’s $44,000 request for funding the CERC proposal. Some BOF members expressed concern that the EDC and the BOS did not have the manpower to implement recommendations that may arise from the CERC work, and suggested that the proposal be revisited as part of next year’s budget process. EDC member Justin Fuller felt this was just a snag in moving forward with CERC and that the EDC members are committed to their work.
- Discussion on how to get the Board of Finance to appreciate the need for the CERC proposal. Committee members were very concerned that without an economic survey and research we lack the economic data and validation that would help make the Halls Road project successful.
- Within the CERC proposal are offers to provide Fundamentals Training, a SWOT Focus Group (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), and a survey of existing businesses, all for $7,000. Bonnie Reemsnyder suggested that this might be a useful starting point, at a figure the Board of Finance would approve.
- Committee budget request for fiscal year 6/30/2020.
- Discussion about process to engage urban planning professionals and fund in next fiscal year’s budget. Recognition that any such assistance will require RFPs and a lengthy process, with no current idea of the cost involved. Hence it is premature to ask for funding. However, we should consider funding for publicity and administrative expenses, perhaps on the order of $3000 - $7,000.
- Adjournment
- Ray Thompson motion to approve, Sabrina Foulke second, all in attendance vote in favor. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
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